The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-10-08
On the Form of E lection Of the Popes.

Pope, having confined the venerable old Pontih
in his palace of the Vatican, having suppressed
religious orders and equivalentiy confscated
their properties, reduced bishops to live on the
charity of the faithful broken up ecclesia sticsl
semin aries by placing the young levites under
the law of military consumption or enrolment,
having laid their hands on all the patrimony of
the Church they relied on the old age of Plus
TX. to see another Pontifcal election coming,
and they began to devise means either to have
it held according to their plan, or to prevent
it if it would be unfavorabe to item. By the
wonderful constitution of our Holy Father they
have been to this day disappointed; but they
have not given up their plot. Here is a new
instance of their Vaccinations.
We have heard through the Italian papers
than association has been formed in Rome
having for its purpose to claim for the Roman
people and clergy the right to take part in the
election of the Pope, founded on the practice of
the primitive Church. The Government of
Victor Emmanuel openly favors this Society
and very probably started it.
The Pope Plus *, has pronounced the pen
atty of accommodation against all the MEM
bers of this association.
For the moment this association asks only
the sahscri ptions of laymen, professiog to re-
spe C, the delicate position of the priests. While
thus endeavoring to excite discord among Ca
tholcs, the promoters of this association pro-
TESS veneratiou to the person of Plus \ aud
disclan any intention of refusing allegiance
to the Holy See. By this hypocrisy, they hope
to surprise the good faith of the Catholic popu-
lation and to bring Roman citizens to co-ope-
rate in the destruction of those forms sanctioned
for centuries by the supreme au thority of the
Church for the election OF he Roman Pontitf
tits true that in the first centuries the election
of bishops though not belonging to the people,
was submitted to their appro baton. And this
had not then many difficulties, because the
whole congregation was a family; there was
no division among it's members, they had all
the same faith, and wished for nothing else but
that the most worthy can ddAte should be
elected Could1he Church have consented TO
| submit the choice of her bishops to a medley
population of Jews, Iufdels, Pro testsuts, Athe-
| lists, as would be found in Rome, and
under the direction OF al infidel government
Evidently this would not have been possible.
The election of the Popes from the beginning
| was no. conducted as that of the bishops. st,
Peter had selected among all the priests and
dcaoors of the city of Rome twenty-four OF
!
the most difficult questions arising in the
government of the Church and he had taker
them as his coadjutors and counsellors and he
had constituted them the electors of the
Sovereign Pontif. They we're called Cardinal
by st. Sylvester l., under Constan tine the Great
Aud this is the reason why each Cardinal nov
selected by the Pope is assigned to one of tn
churches of Rome, and is called by the title o
the church assigned to him.
After st. Sylvester, the Church began to hav
extensive temporal possessions and enjoy
secular authority then, it is unhappily 8
often the cuse, scandals and divisions aros
even among these Pontifoal electors or Cardi
> nails; and, as remedy, the balance of til
Roman clergy and the people called to b
present at the election of the Supreme PontIf
: to give moro strength and authority to il
i And this was ordered first in order that ever
. one could speak freely of tue vices of tn
; virtues of the candidate and approve til
T election by his consent; secondly, that til
. people might not be forced TO accept Frelst
t whom they would not wish to have.
Such was the liberalty of eoe constitution
. In this primitive period of the existence Of tn
Church.
As might have been foreseer, very soon
- became necessary to qnsll tue contcutjons an
=. tumuit which aIese in these elections, 20 ca
i on the authority of the EmperoEs. rot to di,
. tate the choice Of the candidate, but simply :
, maintain order and free election.
" Bat it proved soon very dangerous to call o
"a the imperial or prinCely power to intervene
f, the elections of the Popes. 1t caased mar
r. scandals, and the few Pontitfs whose lives a.
# justly censured, were raised to the Apostoi
chair through the intrigues of princes.
!. Ia the year 1O57, the Pope, Nicholaus II
;. held council at Rome, where it was decree
! that the election of the Popes should be mae
= by the Cardinal bishops, and afterwards q
:. proved by the other Cardinals, and finally
>. the clergy and the people.
So it is that the Church, which is SO often a
=, cused of being absolute and domineering in b
!, government, after an experience of thousar
N ) ears, in spite of the many tIoubles and sea
= dals she had to deplore, was still clingtng
he ol1 form ~ roDnIp- 81