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THE NEW POPE.

CARDINAL ACHILLF. RATH. SCHOLAR AND WRITER. The new Pope, Cardinal Achille Ratti, Archbishop of Milan, where he was enthroned in September last, is a Milanese. He was the first Milanese in 120 years to hold the Archbishopric, and to those who know how tenaciously the people of the city cling to their traditions and their dialect, the reception given to Cardinal 3. .cti on his official entrance into the city in . / be understood. First of all, the selection of the Cardinal met with a warm reception from the Milanese clergy and laity, and his intellectual prestige caused him to be greeted by those who work in opposite camps. The serenity he brought into the discussions which some years ago divided the minds of the Milanese clergy is well remembered. To-day the disputes between rhe followers of Roamini and the partisans of St. Thomas have passed to history

The Cardinal made his studies in the diocesan seminaries, and completed them in Rome, and thus his doctrine was taken from the purest sources; in the contacts which he had with colleagues in the priesthood who imbibed the ideas of Rosmini. he gave proof of an inteL iectual calmness that was not common. In his devotion to the Holy See the Cardinal has shown himself second to none, for his obedience has always been unconditional. Un April 25, 1918, when the war was at its height, the Holy Father destined him as Visitor to Poland, and this came as a kind of blow to the Prefect of the ’Vaticana.” It was a great sacrifice for him to leave his studies and favorite researches to undertake a journey of an exceedingly delicate nature whilst the roar of the camion was heard on all sides; but his Holiness had. appealed to him, and it was not for him to reason why. He left at once, taking with him a few valises and the necessary linen; his trunks had to follow him. The visitor became Nuncio Apostolic at Warsaw, and came back to Italy as the Archbishop of Milan, just like another predecessor of his, Monsignor Odescalehi, who from the Nunciature of Poland came to be Archbishop of the northern city. One touching incident must be recorded—before leaving for Poland Monsignor Ratti went to Milan to ask for the blessing of Cardinal Ferrari, of whose touching death people read in all Christendom some months ago. Little did the future Archbishop imagine then that he would succeed the Cardinal in the Archdiocese.

Achille Ratti was born at Desio, in the Brianza, on May 30, 1857. After his preliminary studies in the diocesan seminaries, he completed his course in Rome at the Lombard College, obtaining at the Gregorian University the triple Doctorate in Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law. He was ordained priest in Rome in 1879, and celebrated his first Mass over the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican basilica. On his return home he was, fror 1882 to 1888, Professor of Dogmatic Theology and Sacred Eloquence in the diocesan seminary. In the latter year, chiefly through the influence of the celebrated scholar. Mgr. Ceriani, at that time prefect of the library, he was appointed to the staff of the College of Doctors of the world-famed Ambrosian Library, the foundation, as is well known, of .the great Cardinal Federico Borromeo. Under the sure guidance of the great scholar. Ceriani, Dr. Ratti soon became master of all the scientific treasures of that famous library, so that on the death of Ceriani, in 1907, he was naturally and unanimously elected to the vacant post. The literary activity which he displayed during the years of his administration is evidenced by the long list of his scientific writings in various learned publications. One of these is a deeply interesting and pathetic historical sketch of the fate of the famous library and archivium of St. Columbanus at Bobbio.

In the midst of all his literary and scientific labors Dr. Ratti was devoted to his work as a priest and director of souls. During the years of his early priesthood the nuns of the Order of the Cenacle opened a house in Milan, first in the Corso Venezia, later in the Via Monte di Pieta, where it still exists. The then reigning Archbishop Mgr. Calabiana, appointed the young priest chaplain to the new convent, and to that work he devoted himself with admirable zeal to the very end of his sojourn in the city. For over thirty years he gave to it all the enthusiasm of his sacerdotal heart. No good work was undertaken in that ever active home of good works, in which Dr. Achille Ratti was not the chief co-operator. In 1883 he organised an Association of Catholic Schoolmistresses, of which he retained the direction during the whole period of his stay in the city. The congregations of Children of Mary for the young ladies of Milanese high society, for those of middle class, women clerks, workgirls and all the social classes, had the benefit of his direction and of his elevated and edifying thorugh simple, institutions. The humblest of the little guests of the Cenacolo were the little chimneysweeps. These little fellows were gathered together by the good Cenacle nuns . for religious instruction and the learned Prefect of the Ambrosian Library, in the midst of his absorbing work, found time, both to pass the afternoons of feast days in teaching Catechism to little boys in the church of St. Sepolcro, and also to prepare the little chimney sweeps for their First Communion, on the occasion of which he would share their little feasts and their innocent games.

This life of combined learned labors and apostolic works was suddenly interrupted just ten years ago, when in 1911, Mgr. Ratti was called to Rome as Pro-Prefect of the Vatican Library and assistant to Father Ehrle, when he was also made Protonotary Apostolic. The Great -War put an end to Mgr. Ratti’s career as a librarian. The war hhd not yet come to an end, when, on April 25, 1918, Pope Benedict XV sent him out as Apostolic Visitor to Poland, in order to regulate the complicated affairs of the Church in that unfortunate country. When Poland finally obtained her restored independence, the Holy Father, to show Lis sympathy with the Catholic State, appointed Mgr. Ratti Apostolic Nuncio to the new Republic of Poland, creating him, in the Consistory of July 3, 1919, titular Archbishop of Lepanto.

The sudden transference of one hitherto known almost exclusively as a writer from the tranquil life of a great Library, passed amid ancient codices and bibliographical research, to the active life of diplomacy in the very midst of one of the most disturbed portions of Europe, caused universal surprise. Poland, after the peace of Brest-Li towski, was still occupied by German troops, although there was a Council of Regency consisting of Archbishop (bow Cardinal) Kukowski and two other#. Th» «itua-

tion was in every way extremely difficult and critical, but the new Nuncio displayed such remarkable tact and diplomatic skill, and even heroism, that he played quite a leading part in the final settlement of both the political and ecclesiastical difficulties which surrounded the birth of the new Republic. It was chiefly owing to his efforts the two articles were introduced into the Constitution of the State, the one declaring that the Catholic religion occupies the first position in the Polish State, and the second, still more practically important, that no measures concerning the Catholic Church may be taken without preliminary agreement with the Holy See.

Even outside Poland, the intrepid Nuncio was able to exercise important influence in various directions. Through his diplomatic good offices, he obtained the liberation of many prisoners and hostages from the hands of the Russian Bolshevists, including the Archbishop of Mohilew and the Bishop of Minsk. Quite recently he was appointed in extraordinary mission as Ecclesiastical Commissioner for the plebiscite in Upper Silesia, and this, at the unanimous request of Poland, Germany and the Inter-Allied Commission.

Two interesting precedents in connection with Mgr. Ratti’s appointment have been noted in the Italian papers. This is the second occasion on which a Nuncio Api-stolic in Poland has been recalled from Wa’rsaw to be Archbishop of Milan and Cardinal, the same having happened to Mgr. Benedetto Odescaichi in 1713. It is stated, moreover, that the Cardinalitial title assigned to Mgr. Ratti, namely, that of San. Martino dei Monti, was held for four years by the new Pope’s illustrious predecessor, St. Charles Borremeo.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19220225.2.103

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 11

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,422

THE NEW POPE. Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 11

THE NEW POPE. Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 11

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