Complex sentence: Just after Leo XIII's and Cardinal Volpini's death, Rampolla tried to make della Chiesa secretary of the conclave, but the Holy College elected Merry del Val, a conservative young prelate, the first sign that Rampolla would not be the next Pope.
Split into simpler sentences: Just after Leo XIII's and Cardinal Volpini's death, Rampolla tried to make Della Chiesa secretary of the conclave. But the Holy College elected Merry del Val, a conservative young prelate, the first sign that Rampolla would not be the next Pope.