The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-01-03
From the New York Times |
The Election of a Pope.

The Italians faithful to the Church
of Rome call the Vetican the Mount
of Myrrh and the Hill Of Franklin
Icense." This splendid palace Of the
Popes, guarded, as Of old, by the cele-
DRAFTED Swiss, save only that their hal
herds are replaced by American rifles,
is destined ere long to be the scene of
perhaps the most important event
which the Roman Catholic world has
witnessed in many centuries. There is
an old Roman proverb to the effect that
she who goes into Conclave q Pope
comes out q Cardlnai,@ and this fully
expresses the situation Of affairs at the
Vatican. The probable and possible
| doings of the Sacred College Of Cardi-
nails, is one Of great Importance to a
large part of the Christian world, and
1--WE propose, as briefly as possible, to
state how a result may be arrived at by
| that body.
| The bull regulating the procedure to
be observed by the Council of Cardi-
nails on the death Of Plus TX was
drawn up and signed some weeks back.
| 1t empowers the Cardinal amerlengo
keither to summon the conclaye Imme-
I.diately, or to await the arrival of the
| foreign Cardinals. Once assembled,
| whether it be sooner or later, the real
lQuestion is, whom will they select
This, question is not without a certain
Importance in every country of the
world. Many in the Roman Church, it
is supposed, desire that election should
be made, Of foreign Cardinal, but the
Lazy of precedent dictates the choice of
an Italian. Since 1862, when Adrian
VI WAS elected, no other than an Ital-
ian has occupied ST. Peters chair. Be-
fore him, in the fifteenth century, two
Spaniards; in the thirteenth, two
Frenchmen, and III the twelfth century
an Englishman, had worn the triple
crown. 1t is more than likely that the
usage and custom Of three centuries
and half will hold fast a body of men
OF whom large majority are Italians,
and who have really but little ae-
quaintanee with the world outside that
Kingdom. Some have goneso far as to
give the names of Cardinals likely to-
secure the Saaffrages of the college.
whereas the truth iS the persons men
toned may not receive a single vote.
Many others have jumped at the con-
clusiOn that the recent fresh infusion
OF foreign blood into the conclave was
intended to pave the way for an Eng
fish or an American Pope. The num-
Der of English-speaking Cardinals has
never been large. During the present
century but seven Roman Catholic
prelates Of British origin have enjoyed
the highest honor which it was in the
power of the Pontiff to bestow, and it'll
is well known that Cardinal cCloskey
is the only North American member
of the Sacred College. Considering
how rapid has been the advance Of
Catholicism in the United States, the |
only wonder is that a country which
deserves so well Of the Church of Rome
should not have been graced with more
frequent recognition of it's claims it is
not probable that an Anglo Saxon will
be chosen.
One important factor in the election
Of q Pope, and which has lately receiv-
ed considerable attention at Rome, is
as to the right of veto possessed by |
Spain. and Austria. Each Of |
these nations has long had the tolerat-
ed privilege of naming one Cardinal
whom they would not wish to see made
Pope; but their objections had to be
made previously to, and not after, an
election, and the difference is very
great. There has been at no time an