The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-14
How a Prince Of the Church
Is Now Created.
ARCHBISHOP MCLOSKEY'S ELEVATION.
Republican Simplicity in the Reception
Of the Pope's Messengers.
The Ab-Legate Monsignore to Deliver the
Benetta in the Cathedral.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CEREMONY


The despatch from Rome published In yester-
days HERALD places beyond all doubt the pro-
motion Of Archbishop McCloskey to the princely
dignity OF the cardinaate. Some doubts had ex.
listed as to the authenticity OF the previous de-
spatches, and prominent clergymen OF this city had
been awaiting anxiously for further information
concerning matter Of such grave Importance to
the Church in America. 1t was known that the
custom at Rome for long time past has been to
announce beforehand, In an informal manner. the
intention OF His Holiness the Pope to raise to the
cardinaate such priests or preates as he may
have already decided upon, partly by way OF
canvasslng the opinions OF the Sacred College
and partly to intimate to the selected
ecclesiastio the high honor which the Holy
Father proposes to confer upon him. But as
Archbishop McCloskey had received no 1urtncr
news than the first mention OF his name in con-
nection with the Archbshops of Westminster and
Poscn, there were not few who were In serious
apprehension lest oy any possibility a conhrma-
ton or the first intelligence should never be re-
celved These fears ana anxieties were. how
ever, all dispelled yesterday when the HERALD's
special despatch was read, ana the feeling of Ger.
tainty which prevailed gave rise to
RENEWED EXPRESSION OF REJOICING
on the part OF the clergy and laity, and perhaps
there has never been prelate In any see for
whose ecclesiastical promotion there has been
such unbounded gladness nor Is this con-
hned to members OF the Church over
which the Archbishop has Jurisdiction but
exists evidently among members OF other demon.
nations which have no a1iliatiOn with the Church
Oi Rome. patriotic feeling seemed to be excited
by the proof which the Pope had aIurded of his
interest in the Cathollcity OF the United States
and OF his high appreciation or the people OF the
country. Tomorrow being the day appointed for
the holding OF the consistory, when the new
cardinals shall he duly elected and their names
promulgated. an unusual interest Is associated
with the ancient city and the performance of a
ceremony which, IN one form or other. has come
down to us from the very earliest centuries.
ANCIENT CEREMONIES.
In the primitive times the cardinals were the
principal ministers in the churches OF Rome and 1t
would seem as If to the charge OF tue Church was
Attached the honor OF the cardlnaate But In those
times there was no Sacred College, nor was the
cardinal endowed with all the brilliant surround
ings which prince OF the Church later on became
entitled to. There was also middle era between
the introduction OF the title and the cardlnalate
rs within the past few centuries the world has
come 10 recognize 1t. After the POpes had estab-
lished the order. and later, when st. Pascal had
SIoutcu VIC tltc, tHc CcTcmOuy Oh
raising an ecclesiastic to the highest honor
though possessing the groundwork upon which IN
more recent times the cOnsistOries have been
held. was still very different in form. 1t was
something in this way
CoNsIsTORIEs.
When church was deprived OF priest or
deacon, by death or any other cause, the earliest
method OF replacing him was by the Pope's ap-
pOIntment OF his successor. Then, on the Wednes-
day OF QuatuOr Tense, IN the Baslca OF st. Mary
Majors the lecLor OF that church assembled the
pulpit, alter the int,oit OF the Mass, and. turning
to the people, uttered formula ike this:-"Be 1t
known that the Sub-Deacon Surgius. OF the title
OF st. Clemens, Is called in the order OF deacon
ship to the Desconship OF st. Clemens. II any
person has any complaint against this man let
him come forth, trusting in God confidently, and
speak," The sub-deacon Tor as In some other
case 1t might be a deacon) was then named q car.
dlnal and ordained TO the higher order IN st.
Peters. 1t would seem plain from the ordina-
lions which followed that sub-deacons and deacOns
only were ordained in st. Peters after being
raised to the cardinaate, tcus showing that the
priests in charge OF the churches had by the lact
OF their office become cardinals already. But in
process OF time the conlerrIng the honor OF the
carjinalate required no ordination IN q church.
the title was received at the residence OF the
ecclesiastic or at the apostolic palace. When
Nicholas II. In the eleventh century established
the
COLLEGE OF CARDINALS
their number could not have been more than
seven Tor even in the reign OF Nicholas H., A. ID.
1877, tue number had not yet gone beyond that
figure AT the present time the Basilicas, or the
most ancient churches In Rome, number exactly
seven, namely, st. Peters, ST. John Lateran's st.
Mary Majors, st. Pau's (outside the walsl st.
Agnes and st. Lorenzo Lucena's When the
Of a cardinal took place before all the MEMBERS
Names were proposed ana vote taken IN a
formal manner; ,u the votes Of absent
consistoTies commenced. Three consistories
first, which was held on Wednesday IN Qua,uor
Tense, the name was proposed and the members
candidate. ON the following Friday the second &c .
consistory was held, and at this a most solemn
ceremony was gone through An empty chair
and to this the Holy Father invited each cardinal
beginning with the one highest In dignity and
rank. When the cardinal had become seated the
Pope bent over towa him and said In whisper,
'QUID vOBIs vIDE1UR,"
ana the cardinal whose opinion as to the candi-
cate was thus asked answered secretly for or
against the candidate. This ceremony was re-
peated until the Pope had become aware OF the
opinion OF the majority OF the sacred College as to
the proposed ecceslastc's fitness for the great
nonor, ana then the Holy Father, having assured
himself OF the recommendation OF his most trusted
ADVISERS, addressed the Cardinals in the following
formula
''Deo Gratiasi Habemus de PERSONS creandls
Concordiam omnlum ratrum Vel quasi omnium,
vel majOris partis.n
The Pope then announced to the college the
names OF the new CARDINALS and thus ended the
second days c0nsisto,y. the following Saturday
tne tnlrd consstory was held, this one being pub
nc, the two others having been secret. At this
inc names OF the new cardinals were publicly
proclaimed, the elected themse YES INTRODUCED ana
nd nI
mOnsned them OF the responsibilities no N resting
upon them and OF the new outles requiring
greater devotion and more earnest prayer, which
invested tne new members OF the college with the
caroMaps nat. subsequently each OF them at
once proceeded TO take possession OF the church
TO whose title ne had been raised. On an early
day suitable religious services were held.
- PRESENT CEREMONIES.
Still progressing and becoming vaster In its
domain, the Onurch grew out OF many OF the old
customs INTO new forms better adapted to the re-