CARDINAL RAPHAEL MERRY DEL VAL 311 



charge of the relations between the Holy See and foreign 

 countries, but he also takes part in all the important acts of 

 the Papal Court. His office makes him the wielder of the 

 Pope's diplomacy ; his post makes him the alter ego of the 

 Pope, and he is constantly associated with him in all kinds 

 of affairs which are not strictly diplomatic. There are, as is 

 generally known, a good many envoys at Rome accredited 

 to the Holy See by foreign countries, in addition to those who 

 represent their countries at the Court of Italy. 



Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Secretary of 

 State receives the ambassadors to the Holy See, one after 

 another; and the ambassadors of the great countries having 

 almost always some business to transact, are constant attend- 

 ants at these functions. These receptions rank first among 

 the duties of the Secretary of State. Next to them comes his 

 correspondence with the nuncios. A nuncio is the Papal 

 equivalent of an ambassador sent to a country having diplo- 

 matic relations with the Pope. The Secretary of State re- 

 ceives their reports and communicates his instructions to them. 

 In addition to this is the endless correspondence from papal 

 delegates in countries where there is no nuncio, as in the 

 United States and in Canada, the numerous telegrams and 

 cablegrams which come from all over the world, and the nu- 

 merous details of Italian and Roman Church government 

 where it impinges upon that of the State. 



Every morning the Pope receives the Cardinal Secretary, 

 and they discuss the condition of the Church. When they 

 have finished their consultation, the Secretary attends to the 

 correspondence. He may write the replies himself, or he 

 may pass on the point involved and leave the details to the 

 prelates attached to his office, •or may instruct them to look 

 into delicate questions upon which the decision has been post- 

 poned. He has, of course, to carry out the instructions he 

 receives at the audience, and to prepare the business he is 

 going to submit to the Pope at the next audience. It might 

 be thought that this was too much to be crowded into the life 

 of any man. But in addition to this, it is the custom of Car- 

 dinal Merry del Val to receive non-official visitors every eve- 

 ning for an hour after the Angelus. He is consulted upon 

 all sorts of questions at these receptions ; he is the Pope's 

 Prime Minister ; and he has to be familiar with every question 



