CARDINAL RAPHAEL MERRY DEL VAL 307 



Archdiocese of Westminster, London, thus identifying him- 

 self with the Metropolitan See of the English Church. But 

 even before his ordination he had been selected for important 

 duties. In 1887, he was appointed a Cameriere Segreto 

 (Privy Chamberlain), and as such he accompanied Mgr. Ruffo 

 Scilla in 1887, to represent the Holy See at the Jubilee of 

 Queen Victoria. A few months later, with Mgr. Galimberti, 

 he attended the funeral of Emperor William I of Germany, 

 as the representative of the Pope. In 1888 he also represented 

 the Holy See upon the occasion of the Jubilee of Emperor 

 Francis Joseph of Austria. All these honors came to him 

 before he was even ordained deacon or priest. 



In 1892 he was made Cameriere Segreto Participante, that 

 is, a Privy Chamberlain in active service, which entailed his 

 taking up his residence within the Vatican itself, with an 

 apartment in close proximity to that of the Holy Father, a 

 member of whose official family he thus became. In 1896 he 

 was appointed to the onerous and responsible position of 

 Secretary to the Special Commission appointed by the Holy 

 Father to examine into and determine the facts as to the va- 

 lidity of the ordinations and orders in the Established Church 

 of England. This may be called his first large and responsi- 

 ble appointment, and was no doubt due in a great degree to 

 his familiarity with the English language and his knowledge 

 of affairs in England. The Commissioners were unanimous 

 in their appreciation of the able manner in which he dis- 

 charged his duties. His minutes, drawing together and digest- 

 ing, as they did, the daily discussions and memoranda of the 

 commission, were regarded as extraordinary in their faithful- 

 ness, accuracy and lucidity. 



In 1897, when Canada was much disturbed over the burning 

 question of the schools in Manitoba, where both the question 

 of religious teaching and the use of the French language were 

 involved, Merry del Val was selected by Pope Leo XIII as 

 Apostolic Delegate, to visit and study the questions on the 

 spot, and to report to the Holy See upon the matter. It was 

 a question which threatened to interfere with the usefulness 

 of the Church in Western Canada and required the most deli- 

 cate handling. But his visit to Canada was a noteworthy suc- 

 cess and marked an epoch in the religious history of the Do- 

 minion. It was only to be expected that he would be well re- 



