Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-02-20
How a Pope Is Elected

lllifl ~ Inc nlill OF NltGplS NNp !"
sued about thc year 1909, THIS stat
ute declares that there arc only three
modes N which u Pope can be lawful
~ created hy inspiration, by conprI'
mise, aud hy ballot, The tlrst COZ
template. IN OCCASION when, sponlan'
eously, without any klud ol previous
conferences, MI tho Cardinals simullan'
eously proclaim the same pelson' Tue
second fprd consists IN delegailng 70
Il small Committee Of Cardinals lhe
power invested In the whole eonclaye'
THIS mode II intended 10 provide
against inlermluable delay IN the cleo
ton Of l'outlll, hut IL adoption II ut
all times eSlremcIy improbable, The
third form Vi cIcolion-by ballots
the ordinary mode, aud will 10 doubt
be- followed un this occasion,
The Popes who were formerly
elected conformity by the Cardinals
aud the assembled people, are now,
aud have been for q long tine, elected
by the Cardinals ouly, GA the ut q
January last the College Vi Cardinals
was composed Of sisty'Iom members
Of whom twenty 'siS ale not Italians
Tho foreign element comprises nine
French, one Irish, two English I'VE
Auslro.lluugarian, Tour Spanish, one
Portuguese, one Belgian, one German,
one Polish German aud one American
United Slatcs,) On the tenth day
after the death Of the Pope the Cardl'
mails assemble ut the Vatican or such
place ~ may 10 designated for the
election, They are each accompanied
by two or three attendants or concIa'
vis!s, Apartments are assigned to
each Cardinal. When NlI the prelm'
mary observanceS are over, the Cardi-
mails assemble in n chapel, where they
attend Il mass Of the Holy Ghost, and
listen to sermon. Then, preceded
by their attendants and the office
bearers, the Cardinals walk in process
sion TO the room III which the election
is TO be held. Three hours after sun
set the Master Of the Ceremonies
makes his appearance, and obliscs
strangers 10 Withdraw beyond the sac
red precincts. Then every place OF
ingress is jealousy walled up, except
the principal door, on which bars and
bolts are drawG, both within aud with
out. here the Cardinals are expected
to remain until they have chosen a
Pope. or until a vote of two thirds OF
the immured Cardinals shall order a
postponement of the proceedings,
Before the voting begins, the Cardi.
nails 90 through the tormality ofprov'
ing their identity and right to attend
the oonclavc. \ Cardinals right 10
record his vote Is regarded as inviola.
bic. 1t has been ruled that no cen.
sure, intcrdict, or even excommunlca
ton, can involve forfeiture by Cardi'
nal of his right to exercise this specl'
fc privilege of his order.
The baloting takes place in the
prestytery in front OF the altar. In
side the railing Of the preSbytery arc
the seats of the Cardinals, each with q
canopy Of green for those of Older
date, and of violet for those created by
the late Pope. AS soon as an election
has taken place, these are lowered, the
canopy over the new Pope remaining
alone alott. Before each Cardinal is 6
table, with all the materials required
for writing and registering his vote
while in the middle six similar tables
stand apart for those Cardinals wh(
may fear being overlooked if they
wrote and folded at their own stalls
On the Gospel side, the Cardinal Dear
occupies the first seat, being followed
by the others in the order of prece
dence, so that the Senior Deacon sit
opposite to him on the Epistle side o
the altar, in front of which is larg'
table, with the chalice serving as
ballot box, while at the back is tn
fireplace, wherein, after an inconclu
sive ballot, the papers ale burned
The voting papers are square, ant
folded down, so as at each end TO hav
a sealed portion, within the upper on
of which is written the voters name
to be opened only under special cir
cumstances and in the other, scale
with the same seal, some motto fror
Scripture, which one adopted must b
the same at all ballots, and serves OIL
dinarily as the means for identificatlo
of the vote. In the middle space
which is left open, stand the name c
the candidate. When the voting be
gins each Cardinal advances, in turf