Religion: The Vatican's No. 2

For the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, the second most important man in the Vatican is a Kentucky Colonel. He is also an honorary chief of the Osage Indians. For last week Pope John XXIII named as his Secretary of State—to succeed Domenico Cardinal Tardini, who died at the end of July—a man who had been apostolic delegate to the U.S. for a quarter of a century: Amleto Giovanni Cardinal Cicognani.

Everybody was surprised. The obvious choice was Milan's charming and brilliant archbishop, Giovanni Cardinal Montini, 63; he had been mentioned as a candidate for the post...