The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-02-15
Eleetipg a Pope.


up for public interest the greatest
electoral body of the world. The spir-
itual ruler of the largest part Of GiVi-
zed humanity owes his place to a con-
claveof Cardinals, which in thier place
| will number about sixty. We owe tO
| the notes of the cOnclavista, or secreta-
ries of the Cardinals, an interesting
| account of the election of thirty-two
Popes, printed in 1867. some of them
given with minute detail and circum-
stance. The election by the Cardinals
grew ND gradually by the exclusion of
the lower orders, until the twelfth
century, under Gregory N, the COun-
ell of Lyons prescribed the method,
and the practice of shutting up the
conclave was instituted, They were
bound to enter the cOnclave not later
than ten days after the death of the
Pope. All access is denied, hy person,
speech or writing; food admitted
through small aperture and absent
Cardinals are not Ia bs waited for,
which may exclude Cardinal MctlGs=
XIV. If no election was held in three
DAYS. their allowance was one dish for
i've days and thereafter bread and
wine. ANY violation Was of itself in
fanny and forfeiture o. any oilipe or
estate he might bold anywhere. me
seclusion, however, Is about all that
remains of the .ancient rigid rules.
The Cardinals proceed to PaOline
Chapel, where the bulls regulating
cOnclaves are read and the cells are
then distributed by lot. The doors
remained open until the tEird
hour after sunset To visitors. ambas-
sadors, and at that hour they were
walled i'll and sentries placed TO pre-
vent ingress, egrcss and access. Each
Cardinal had two conclaViSta, and be-
sides there were a sacristan, a Jesuit
cOnfesser, two Physicians, a surgeon,
two BARRIERS, an apothecaFy, i've mas
ters of ceremonies, Il mason, Il CaFpens
ter, and sixteen servants. The con.
clavista were the important persons
after the Cardinals. They were the
means OF communication. All intri-
gues, arrangements, combinations in
general were carried on through
them, aud they were the repository af
all secrets of their masters,
The mode of election was-vby srPu-
tiny in which each Cardinal places III
vase on the altar of the Sistine Chap
el q billet with his vote, signed with
his own Eame. TwO-thirds of those
present are necessary TO a choice by
this method. by compromise, Whep
one of their number after failure af
election was allowed to name the
Pope. This method received n shock
in 1914, tr6Hi which it has never re
covered Cardinal RiQssat, appointed
| to end dead lock, took stQfb way
| by appointing the nearest and dear
| est person, eXclaiming' "egO sitBI Pa
Dd.h He was Pope John NXII.
The third process is called that by
inspiration" or by "adOration." 1t
was supposed that the spirit, by sud-
den impulse, determined the requisite
two-thiFds TO call out: Cardinal -
is Pope" The spirit never made n
mistake, but sometimes tbs GaFqi4qls
did, and many an inspiration turned
out not to have been inspired. The
great point in this was, when all were
| assembled, to cry out suddenly, and
have enough surprised and fearing lest
| they might not vote for one about to
be Pope, join in with the cry. Many
an election was thus determined, but
many an inspiration came TO naught.
| The history of the intFigues in the
co aclavc which elected Paul v. Is ii
| deeply interesting web of all kinds of
4 intricately inter woven interests-am-
bitioH, religion, church, private and
| State. FbeFe were several attempts
at inspiration, and oGce lh6 election
was made but for the tardy aCtiqn ot
one of TOsea's friends: even then it was
made but for the boldness of an enc
nav. TIE delay gave the Papal See
one of its most iHVstrious. Popes, the
great Porghese, Paul V, anu tQ Italy
! the great struggle between Venice anu
| the Pope, itotWeeu Sarpl, the triar
| Paul and Borghesc tiic Pope Raul,
perhaps the most momentous sErug-
gIe Italy Las ever had within her bor-
derS.
Times have changed. We are like
ly to hear OfnO compromise or ''ad-
oration.n The election will proceed
bv scrutiny, and since the Church is
/ much divorced from the State in
4 most countries we do not see how
royal wishes can play the part played
by France and Spain i'll the 10th cen
| ttiry. The Church has become more
and more kingdom OF its own, and
Cardinals less and less represent the
courts and government. The veto
power possessed by few countries
must Es exercised before election.
Spain, Austria, Portugal, have veto
power, and by tradition, France. but
il is doubtful if it H. now
allowed. Either one of those
possessing it may designate some
Cardinal il viii not see elected. 1t Is
not very potent NetG thus applied.