Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-14
HOW POPES ARE ELECTED

HOW. POPES ARE ELECTED
S4FEG YARDS SURROUNDING THE
CONCLATE.
The Three Forms of Election, Acclama.
ton, Compromise and Ballot-The Keen
Watching of the Cardinals who Count the
| Votes.
Unless the order of proceedings has been
changed by recent papal constitution, the
formalities of the election of new Pope in
the place of Plus TX, will, according to the
"New American Cyclopadia," be these:
Nine days will first be employed in DEVOTION
al exercises for the rcpose of the soul of the
deceased pontiff, the ninth day being that OF
his funeral. On the tenth day the cardinals
will assemble in the Sistine chapel, where a
mass in honor of the Holy Ghost will be cell
ebrated by the cardinal dean. This over, the
cardinal dean will intone the Veni Creator,
Sp5rlt'ts, and the sacred college, with their
officers and attendants, will 60 in procession
to that part of the Vatican set apart for their
reclusion, Immediately adjoining and includ-
ing both the Sistine and Pauline chapels
On their arrival in the Pauline chapel the
cardinal dean will chant before the altar the
prayer Deus, Qui cordn .fdeliun, and the
papal constitutions on conclaves will be read
all present swearing solemnly to observe
how, IL,
from that moment the rigorous reciusion
prescribed by the pontifcial DEGREES In
modern times it only begins on the evening
of the tenth day. AS soon however, as the
signal for the prescribed reclusion is given,
all will meet in the chapel, the oath
of fidelity and secrecy will be administered
to conclayists and guardians, and three
cardinals, chosen one from each of the three
orders of bishops, priests, and deacons, ac-
companied by the high chamberlain an the
first master of ceremonies, will make scru-
pulous examination of every room and cor
ner from cellar to garnet, in order to see that
there are no intruders. The only door of com
munication having been then closed with two
strong locks on the outside and two within,
the conclave will be formally begun. The
cells in which the electors arc locked up are
simple in their construction and their furni-
ture. They are draped in purple for the
cardinals created by the last pope, and in
green for all the others.
The following daily routine will be OBJ
served as long as the reclusion lasts: At 6
o'clock in the morning master of ceremo-
MES knocks at the door of each cell to warn
the inmate to proceed to the chapel At z
the mass of the Holy Ghost is celebrated,
after which all except the cardinals with
draw. The cardinals recite the penitential
psalms and the ltany of the saints, and
first vote is cast. This over, the fathers re-
tire to their cells, breakfast, and take short
walk in the open air. At o'clock p. M,
they again meet in the chapel for tho second
ballot, after which they dine, walk out if they
choose, or retire to their respective cells,
where a religious silence is observed after
dark.
late number of the I1adepcnootnce Belize
describes the process of balloting for new
Pope as follows:
Of the eighteen forms of election practiced
in the past there remain now but three in
vogue to-day. The conclave can elect the
Pope i'll the first place by reclamation, or, in
other words, by inspiration or by alterations
IN the second place, by compromise; and
finally, by ballot or by acceding. This last
named method is at present most in use, and
the election by reclamation or by compro-
misc is only employed in certain special
cases. Strictly speaking, the reclamation
would now be forbidden, because it opens
the door to all sorts of surprises It is now
more than two centuries since this method
was abandoned. The last Pope elected by
reclamation was Innocent XI., chosen the
Goth of September, 1876
The first Pope elected by reclamation was
st. Fabian. According to the ecclesiastical
legend, the cardinals saw a dove light upon
the head of st. Fabian, and they took this
bird for the Holy Ghost, sent by God to
show his will in the matter. They immedi-
ately obeyed this divine injunction by ele-
waiting tho chosen of the Lord TO the dignity
of Pope.
Gregory VII, julius III, Marcellus H.,
Paul III, Paul w., Clement VII; Plus w..
Plus ", Urban VIII. Gregory XIV, and
Gregory XIV. were also elected by acclama-
ton or by alteration, but this last named
Pope, considering the abuses, the surprises,
and the moral violence to which this mode
OF choice gave place, surrounded the election
with many barriers and precautions by
special constitution, which rendered the prac-
teal operation of it 80 difficult that it fell
into disuse.
Gregory XIV. regulated the mode of cleo
ton by compromise, which is the second
method at present in use. The conclave has
recourse to the compromise when it is di-
vided into several parties, who stubbornly
maintain their candidates and are unable to
agree without proceeding to negotiations.
10 put an end to the obstinacy of the several
parties which renders a choice impossible,
several cardinals are selected, to whom is
delegated the power of electing the Pope.
These cardinals agree among themselves and
name the Pope, whom the conclave is
obliged to recognize without appeal, by viz
tue of the bull -Ktern5 P,tt75s of Gregory
XIV. Sometimes even single cardinal is
appointed by compromise to name the Pope.
Then we have the third and last method,
the election by ballot or by acceding, which
IS, moreover, the only one in usage in our
time. This election is carried on by means
of ballots, containing the sufrages of the
Cardinals. 1t commences with the opening
of the conclave, and is repeated twice day,
without even excepting the great feasts, such
as Christmas and Easter. No Cardinal pres
ent can refuse to take part in the vote; and
If any member of the holy college is con-
fined in his cloister by sickness, it is decreed
by special bull of Gregory that commit
tee of Cardinals shall be appointed to get the
votes of their sick colleagues. The morn
ing ballot is taken after the celebration of
mass in the same chapel in which is deposited
II -I--Is