The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-02-08
ElEcTING A POPE.

1uc 1Oly Stt having become vacant
by the death of Pho Mono, the chief
rule during the vacancy belongs to the
Cardinal Comerlingo. He repairs to
the chamber where the dead Pontiff
lies; he strikes him on the forehead
thrice with slender hammer, and calls
HIM three times by his original name
las for instance, Giovanni Mastai r').
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 but will be convened
in the Vatican. The doors and win
dows of the room set apart for it will
be walled up, one or two panes of glass
only being left at the top to afford a
little light. A dozen conclaves might
be held in the spacious palace where
the fope resides, and cells for the Car
dinals can easily be constructed in the
long galleries. They will be made of
ordinary fir planks, and covered on the
outside with violet-colored serge if the
inhabitant was created Cardinal by the
Pope just deceased, and gree n if by some
previous Pontiff. The Cardinals may
not visit each other by night, and en-
issaries are placed as sentinels to pre-
vent this irregularity. However, De
Brosses says they often manage to do it.
On the first day of the Conciave their
"Veni Creator" before proceeding to
business. Many last word is said be-
fore 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 8 O'Clock
the next morning bell is rung at the
door of each cell, and at nine, clad in
cassock, band, rOchet, cape and croccia,
with their scarlet berrette, they pro-
coed to the chapel, hear mass, and COM
municate. Many minute ceremonies
are observed which may here be passed
over. Then they return to their cells
to breakfast, and afterward proceed to
their first scrutiny. The midday meal
follows. The dinners of their Emil
nences are brought to the 'rota," or
turn-table opening, at which they are
TO be passed into the Conclave with
much care and in q solemn manner.
Each Cardinal has a ''dapifer," or
feast-carrier. who discharges that func-
tion for his imprisoned master. Dur
ing the introduction of the viands great
care is taken Il a. no communications
respecting the business of the Conclave
shall take place between those immured
and the outside world.
Mr.. Adolphus Trollope, who is no
friend to tile Catholic Church, says in
reference to Conclaves "Given the ne
cessity of having Pope, it would prob
ably be impossible to devise better
means of getting one than that which
the Church has gradually perfected"
There have been but five Conclaves
held this century the first, which
elected Chiaramonti, Pope Pious VII.
in 1900; the second, to which we owe
Della Genga, Leo XII, in 1882; the
third, which choose Saverio, Plus VIII,
in 1929; the fourth, which convened
in 1881, whose choice fell on Capellan,
Gregory XVI. f; and the fifth, which
elected Mastai of Sinigaglia as Plus
TX, in 1916. Two of these Pontiff
have reigned an unusually long time,
Plus VI. having been on the Papal
throne nearly twenty-three years and
half, and the dead occupant of the
See of Rome being the only Pope in all
the 262 successors of st. Peter who has
overpassed quarter of a century.