Thomas County cat., 1889-08-29
EIEC1lNa A POPE.
where and How tho Cardinals ee.sct q
Head Of the Catholic Church.

Head OF tho Catholic Chufch.
Time was when the election OF the
supreme head of the church was vested
in the Cardinal Bishops, with the
consent of the other Cardinals and the
clergy and people of Rome, saving,
also, the honor due to the King OF
the Romans" But this recognition Of
a kingly and imperial right to inter-
fere with papal elections was the
cause of endless troubles.
1t proved to be a fertile source OF
anti-Popes and other veXations, and
finally became so intolerable that
Alexander Ill. took away from the
imperial line the locus standi in papal
elections, and a general council later
on, held at the Lateran, decreed that
the election should thenceforth rest
with the Cardinals alone" This
Lateran decree was confirmed and de-
veloped at the Council of Lyons. pre-
sided over by Pope Gregory X, and in
all its substantial features the discip-
line then laid down still obtains in all
papal elections.
The immediate body or convention
is called a conclave; the building or
hall in which such convention is held
is also designated by the same name
conclave. The election of Pope
must begin ten days after the death of
the last incumbent 1t is provided
that the election shall neither be de-
iayed or precipitated; that the electors
should be in no fear OF their personal
safety, and that they must not be sub
jected to any external persuasion in
casting their vote. Immediately upon
the death of Pope one of the secre-
taries of the Sacred College notifies
each Cardinal of the Pontiffs demise,
and summons them to the city in
which the Pope breathed his last The
election must take place in the same
city where the death occurs.
Should Leo XIII. so to Madrid for
an asylum, as has been mooted dur
ing the past few days, and die there,
the conclaye to elect his successor
would therefore be held in Madrid.
Within the ten days the conclave must
be constructed in the Vatican at Rome,
or in some other suitable building if it
be held in another city. On the tenth
day solemn mass is said. at the conclu-
sion of which the Cardinals form in
procession and march to the conclave.
The canclave is open to the public
during the whole of the first day, and
friends of the electors are permitted
to visit them. At nine O'Clock that
evening the conclave is closed: every
body is turned out except the Cardinals
and their immediate attendants. and
no visitors are allowed to enter the
portals again until the election of q
Pope has been declared.
The concave il under the absolute
charge of two guardians. One of these
Is prelate of high standing, previous
ly selected by the Sacred College. and
is called the Governor. The other is
a prominent iayman, whose official
appellation is marshal. Each Cardi-
nal is allowed to have two members of
his resident household in personal at
tendance upon him. A number of
other attendants and minor officials
are also there in the common service
of the conclave, including a sacrist, a
monk or friar to hear confessions. two
or three BARRIERS, eight or ten porters
and a number of messengers. But one
entrance to the building is allowed to
remain open, and that is in charge of
prelate officials.
They must exercise a strict sur
veillance over every body going in or
out. and prevent the entran ce of un-
authorized persons. They must also
examine the food brought for the
Cardinals, for the purpose of prevent
ing outside communication with them
through this channel. Three days
after the commencement of the con-
clave, if no result has been attained,
the supply of food is restricted. The
rule used to prevail that if at the end
of FIVE days no election had been made
the Cardinals were compelled to sub
sist upon bread, wine and water, but
during the last half century the rigor
of this rule has been much abated and
modified.
Every morning and evening the
Cardinals meet in the chapel, and a
secret scrutiny, by means of voting
papers. is instituted. SO as to ascertain
if any candidate has obtained the
required majority of two-thirds.
There are three valid modes of cleo
tion. The first of these. and the
ordinary method, is by scrutiny: the
second. compromise, and the third by
what is known as quasi inspiration.
BY compromise is meant when all the
Cardinals, finding that it is an impos-
sibility for any candidate to be elected
under the method of scrutiny, agree
TO intrust the election to a committee
of three or five of their number. The
last time that compromise was
resorted to was in 1899. when the