The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-09
CEREMONIES ArrHE DEATH OF Il POPE
now A NEW POPE IS ELEcTED.

q (COndensod
We shall only give an outline of the princ-
& pal rule ., established by many popes ana sane
tioned by many assemblies OF cardlnais IN con-
clave met, for the guidance OF the Roman
court, on the casion of q pontids death.
Our motive in writing this paper is to give
our -eadeTs an authentic expose OF how things
should be. but under present circumstances
may not be allowed, when the sad necessity
a will occur of choosing q successor to our ven-
cradle and beloved Pope Plus TX. May he
outlive even the longest lived of all his prede-
cessors, Gregory TX
Yet the day shall come, when the whole " orld
will mourn over the grave of one of the great
est among the great We say 'all the world"
for even his enemies, the most puissant chill
dren of this generation, will tremble at the
death Of his viceRerent on earth, per quens reyes
regnaRs ct domiRi doninGntar.
We cannot disguise our appreh ensons.
Every morn we wake with q heart preooou-
pied by fear, lest the dread news have thrown
pail over the face of the earth.
Then We ask q question which one Ia afraid
to answer, how shall the election of new
pontif be consummatedf Shall there be con-
clave, free snd untrammelledf The enemies
mined that there shall be mono. Senseless
meni When the destinies OF Europe were
held In the hollow of one mans band, that
man had send forth his Iet, that not the car
di mails but he Napoleon. will give the Church 9
head. Bnt hark! even whilst the world stood
aghast, amazed at the impotent threat. and
seemed paraly zed with fear. as the thunder of
CommRnd which brooked dissent YVES yet
heard rumbling with dismal roar over the
earth bark! whisper at fret, then sweet
of the See, watts the joyous tidings to the far
, thest ends of the world, that Pope was
elected; aye, and that Pope lived great
length of days, and reiGned with power, and
at last chained the persecutor of his children
on o barren rock in mid ocean.
Then it is not a matter of little interest to
know how the choice of Vicar of Christ is
made. We shall tell our readers the leading
features to prepare their souls for coming
events.
We draw from the authentic sources of
Papal constitutions, and the ceremonial of the
Roman court.
FUNERAL CEREMONIES.
The moment the death of the Supreme Pom
tiff is announced, the Cardinal Camerlengo,
dressed in sombre purple and accompanied by
the prelates in waiting repairs to the Pontif-
cal Palace to take 9 deposition of the fact and
I to identify the body. A proper document is
accordingly drawn by the notaries of the Cam
.erG Apostolica, and sworn to. He receives the
Eisherman's Ring from his holinesss m aster in
waiting. Said ring is afterwards broken at
first meeting of the cardinsls, and thus broken
is shown to and recognized by every one of
them.
The Cardinal Datario (by which name is
known the Cardinal Prince, 8. r. E., who
the Supreme Pontiff) and the several under
secretaries who may have signetriDgs of the
deceased, surrender them to an appointed pre-
late, who after ards breaks them st the afore-
mentioned first meeting of the cardinals.
Formerly, the Cardinal Camerlengo would
take possession of both palaces, Vatican and
QurinRl, and make an inventory of all articles
Of furniture in the name of the Camera Apos-
tolica. The latter is department in the
Roman court, strictly eocleeiastical. yet takes
Of all that %
it presdes the Cardinal Camerlengo.
4 Meanwhile the huge bell at the capitol sends
forth its lugubrious peals-well- nigh four hun
dEed churches join in slow solemn dirgeaFe-
echoed from all parts of Christendom. Only
when the children of the faith are orphaned
does the earth resound with such dirge of
. The captain of the police, with the banner
of the capitol ward floating in the air, escorted
by a squad of armed men, and marching at
the sound of Fl fe and drum, unbolts ths prisons
and sets free such as are guilty of minor Of
fences. Heavier criminals have been secured
in Castle st: Angelo at the approach of the
sovereign's death.
The Cardinal Camerlengo leaves the Pom
tifical Palace, and surrounded by body of
troops repairs to his own reBidepce, where the
seat of government is, for the nonce, located.
He strikes coin with his coat of arms, yet
charged above with the seal of the vacant
See, deoussRted keys for their field the Gonfalon
administers all affairs of state, oonjointly with
three cardinals, the deans of the three orders
of bishops, priests, and deacons.
:, The cameriengo also appoints officers over
the various departments of the PoutifcRl
household in lien of those who served under
the deceased Prince. OF all dignitaries only
three retain their offices, viz: The Gamer
,lenRo, the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, and the
Cardinal Penitentiary. All the courts. tribu.
malls, and congregaSioni. evon the Rota Romsus
and the Datary, are suspended from the exer.
else of their functions. Ths was decreed by
il special bull of Pope Plus Nv.
The funerals over the remains of the de- |
ceased Popes last nine days-hence called
soCendialid. Twenty-four hours after the Pom
tiff's death, the body is recognized anew, a
second document of identification is drawn up
by Pontifcial notaries, and the remains are in |
sErusted to the surgeons Of the household, for |
the purpose of embalmment. The body, |
dressed in white woolen cassock. mozzetts, and |
Eed Samanro skull-Csp, is then laid in state |
IN one of the reception halls, under o canopy, |
4our large tapers Burning all the time, and at
eended by q number of reverend PeniteHsieri |
end come Swiss Guards.
The body is then transferred or noble bier |
80 the Sistine chapel, where, by the hands Of the
eAid Penitenzieri, it 10 rohed in pontifeAl
vestments, as when, informed by the soul, he
was about offering the solemn saOriioe. Thus,
with the golden mitre on its head, the body is
laid on the catafalco, the tapers buring around
II, the Fathers all the time reoiting appropri-
Ate prayers whilst the Swiss Guard encircle the