The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-26


reliable leaves us no room to doubt that the
leaders of the CAtholic world are deeply exer-
cised about the next Papal conclave and the
probable successor Of Plus TX. in the chair of
! ST. Peter That it should be so ought not to
| fill us with surprise. As far back as 1859 1t
is known that arrangements were made for the
election of a successor to Plus TX. In conse-
quence of the continued good health Of the Holy
Father, and in consequence, also, Of the power
full protectorate of France, the ex element Of
that period died ont, and we have heard little
about the next conclave or about the next pos
sible occupant of the Holy See. The fall of
France, and the determination of the Italian
government to make Rome its headquart RS
have afresh compelled the leaders Of the Ro-
man Catholic Church to make such provision
that, in the event Of the sudden death of the
Holy Father, either in or out of Rome, no diff
iculiy should be experienced in the election
of suitable successor. The fall of France
and the determined action of the Italian gov
ernmen are not, however, the only reasons
why this subject again commands attention.
The Holy Father has seen the days of St.
Peter; he has had his jubilee; and the fact is
not disguised, either by the Pope or his ad-
viscrs, that in the natural conrse of things the
election of a successor must at no distant day
be necessity. Always, for the last ten hun
dred years at least, Papal elections have been
events of worldwide interest; and it is not,
we think, unfair to say that the next election
will be fully as interesting TO the widespread
family of nan as anything of the kind which
| has gone before
The presumption is that for at least once
more the old machinery will be employed in
| the election of the mex. Pope, whoever he
may be- 1t is q cumbrous, old-fashioncd kin d
of machinery, which, though it has worked
well enough in the past, is but poorly adapted
to the requirements of this advanced age, and
particularly to the entirely new conditions in
which the Papacy finds itself. There are but
few who know anything Of Papal conclaves or
| of the m0dus Operdndi of Papal elections. In
view of an approaching event of so much inn
portance, our readers will not be ungrateful to
us if we help them to understand what is
| meant by a Papal conclave, and explain to them
the working of the machinery by which, when
occasion calls for it, new Pope is manufac-
| tured. The word conclave (from con, with,
and caots, key is applied both to the apart
ment in which the Cardinals meet to elect
| Pope and to the Cardinals themselves as
| body when thus in session. In early times
the election OF the Pope was the joint preroga-
tive of the civil power, the clergy and the
people. 1t was to all intents aud purposes
popular election. So it was until the days of
Hi!debrand, thar mightiest of m nks, the over
| shadowing &c lius Of the Papacy during the
eventful reigns Of six Pop.s, himself at the
eliminating hour seating himself in that chair
which he had rescued from ruin and trans
formed into throne of might. 1t was Hide
brand who secured the nomination of Nicholas
ii. at Florence in 1859, and scarcely had
Nicholas mounted the Papal throne when,
yielding to the influence of the Warwick Of the
time, the great Pope-maker, he issued the Bull
which must be regarded as the original charter
Of the College OF Cardinals. BY it the College
of Cardinals was called into existence as an
ecclesiastical Senate, land invested organ-
cally with the elective franchise which can
give head to The Church." TheeBull solemnly
decreed ''that the election of Pope appertans
first to the Cardinal Bishops who oficiate for
the Metropolitan; then to the Cardinal Clerks,
and that the remainder Of the clergy and the
people tender but their acquiescence in the
election; so that the Cardinals have the lead in
making choice of Popes, the others only fol-
lowing them.' The innovation was resented
by the tumultuous populace of Rome, civil and
ecclesiastical, and the imperial Crown ex-
pressed its Indignation at thus being robbed
Of its rights. Hiidebrand, however, was
equal to the difficulty. A sop was
given to both classes of malcontents.
The Roman clergy and people were pacifled
| by the assurance that the Pope would be
selected in preference out of the bosom Of the
Roman Church; and the Emperor was sought
| to be conciliated with the proviso, ''saving
| the honor and reverence due to our beloved
Gods favor, it is to be hoped, will become
Emperor, rs likewise to all his successors who
may have personally acquired this right from
the Apostolic See" Alexander ILL.,, after
the Church had had some experience of
the working Of the new machine, promulgated
decree that no Papal election should be
valid with majority of less than two-thirds of
those voting-a provision which remains in
force to this day. 1t had thus been arranged
| that the franchise was vested in the Cardinals
alone, and that no Pope could be considered
legally elected except by the vote of two-thrds
of the electors present. Ga the Goth Of No.
vember, 1868, Pope Clement Nv. died at
yiterbo, and the Cardinals, eighteen in num-
Der, assembled in said city, and in the palace
in which the Pope died, to elect his successor.
| For two vears and nine mnnfhs the Cardinala