Monday, Dec. 02, 1929

Five New Hats

In a quiet study in the Paris Latin Quarter not far from the grey, ornate pile of the Church of Saint Sulpice, newsgatherers waited last week for Father Jean Verdier, a modest little priest who for years has guided the thoughts and prepared the minds of hundreds of young women preparing to take the veil at the novitiate school of St. Sulpice.

"Ma foi, gentlemen," said Father Verdier as he entered, clasping his hands in front of the sash of his soutane, "I scarcely know what to say to you, except that I have never placed my ambition so high as this! I would have greatly preferred to continue my work in the school. However I accept gratefully the orders of the Holy Father, and I will do all in my power to fill this high office worthily."

It was truly a breathtaking rise. From the quiet school, Pope Pius XI had jumped Father Verdier over the heads of innumerable Bishops, made him Archbishop of Paris. Soon he was to be hatted a Prince of the Church and put in charge of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Four other Cardinals were named by Pope Pius XI last week to fill some of the 13 vacancies in the Sacred College: Mgr. Emanuel Gonzales Cerejeira, to be Patriarch of Lisbon; Mgr. Luigi Lavitrano, to be Archbishop of Palermo; Mgr. Carlo Minoretti, to be Archbishop of Genoa; Mgr. Joseph MacCrory to be Primate of Ireland.

Each will receive his hat at secret and at public consistories fortnight before Christmas. To Church diplomats the important fact was that of the five new Cardinals, only two were Italians. The traditional balance between Italian and non-Italian Cardinals in the Sacred College which for centuries has assured the election of an Italian Pope was sadly askew, standing last week: Italians, 29; non-Italians, 33. As there are still eight vacancies, another consistory will probably soon be held, more Cardinals appointed. But according to tradition at least four seats in the College of Cardinals must remain unfilled.

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