The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-05-03
How the Next Pope win he Elected,

TIE time for the meeting of another
Conclave is drawing near, and it will
hardly be out of place if we give few
notices of what usually takes place upon
the Holy See becoming vacant. The
chief rule during the vacancy belongs to
the Cardinal Camerlingo. He repairs to
the chamber where the dead pontif lies !;
he strikes him on the forehead thrice with
q slender hammer, and calls him three
times by his original name las, for in
stance, Giovanni Mastai!''). Receiving
no reply, he takes off the "ring of the
fisherman and breaks it.
Nine days are allowed for assembling
the COnclave. 1t can no longer be held
in the Quirinal; the next, therefore, will
be convened in the Vatican. The doors
and windows of the room set apart for it
will be walled up, one or two panes of
glass only being lett at the top to afford q
little light. A dozen Conclaves might be
held in the spacious palace where the
Pope resides, and cells for the Cardinals
can easily be constructed in the long gal.
leries. They will be made of ordinary
fir planks, and covered on the outside
with violet-colored serge, if the inhabi.
tant was created Cardinal by the Pope
just deceased, and green by some previ-
Gus pOntiff The Cardinals may not visit
each other by night, and emissaries are
placed as sentinels to prevent this irregu-
larity. However, DeBrosses says, they
often manage to do it.
On the first day of the Conclave their
eminences hear mass and sing the "Veni
Creator" before proceeding to business.
Many last word is said before the bell
rings and the master of the ceremonies
pronOunces an Extra Omnes," and the
last door is shut and walled up. Nobody
is then permitted to leave the Conclave.
But by this time the evening has arrived
and the Cardinals retire to rest. At eight
O'Clock the next Forming bell is rung al
the deor of each cell, and at nine, clad in
cassock, band, rocbet, cape and croccia,
with their scarlet Derrette, they proceed to
the chapel, hear mass and communicate.
Many minute ceremonies are observed
which may here be passed over. Then
they return to their cells to breakfast, and
aftcrward proceed to their first scrutiny.
The midday meal follows. The dinners
of their eminences are brought to the
rota," or turn-table opening, at which
they are to be passed into the Conclave
with much care and in a solemn manner.
Each Cardinal has "dapifer," or feast.
carrier, who discharges that function for
his imprisoned master. During the in
PRODUCTION of the viands great care is
taken that no communications respecting
the business Of the Conclave shall take
place between those immured and the out
side world.
Mr.. Adolphus Trollope, who is no
friend to the Catholic Church, says in
reference to Conclaves: "Given the ne
cessity of having Pope, it would prob
ably be impossible to devise a better
means of getting one than that which the
church has gradually perfected"
There have been but five C0nclaves held
this century; the first which elected
Chiaramonti, Pope Plus VII, in 1900;
the second, to which we owe Della Genga,
Leo Kill, in 1928; the third, which choose
Saverio, Plus WILL, in 1929; tine fourth,
which convened in 1881, whose choice
fell on Capellan, Gregory XVI; and the
fifth, which elected Mastai of Sinigaglia
as Plus TX, in 1886. Two of these Pom.
tiffs have reigned an unusually long time,
Plus vi. having been on the Papal throne
nearly twenty three years and half, and
the present occupant of the See of Rome
being the only Pope in all the 262 sue.
cessOrs of St. Peter who has Overpassed q
quarter Of century Westminster Gazette.