Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-08-29
ELEcTiNG A POPE.
Whore and How the Cardinals Select q
Head OF the Catholic Church.

Where and How the Cardinals Select
Head OF the Catholic Church.
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 sta',di in papal
elections, and 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
which chooses the head Of the church
is called 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-
layed or precipitated; that the electors
should be in no fear of their personal
safety, and that they must not be SUBJ
jected to any external persuasion in
casting their vote. Immediately upon
the death of a 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. go to Madrid for
an asylum, as has been mooted dur
ing the past few days, and die there,
the conclave 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 il 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 a
Pope has been declared.
The conclave is 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 i.
q prominent layman, whose official
appellation is marshal. Each Cardi
nal is allowed to have two members o.
his resident household in personal at
tendance upon him. A number O
other attendants and minor official!
are also there in the common servic,
of the conclave, including a sacrist, f;
monk or friar to hear confessions, two
or three BARRIERS, eight or ten porter.
and number of messengers. But one
entrance to the building is allowed t.
remain open, and that is in charge O
prelate officials.
They must exercise q strict sur
Vigilance over every body going in o.
out. and prevent the entran CO of un
authorized persons. They must ais,
examine the food brought for tn,
Cardinals, for the purpose Of prevent
ing outside communication with then
through this channel. Three day
after the commencement of the con
clave, If no result has been attained
the supply of food is restricted. Tn
rule used to prevail that if at the en-,
of five days no election had been mad
the Cardinals were compelled to sub
sist upon bread, wine and water, btl
during the last half century the rigo
of this rule has been much abated an
modified.
Every morning and evening tn
Cardinals meet in the chapel, and
secret scrutiny, by means of votin
papers, is instituted, so as to ascertai
if any candidate has obtained tn
required majority of two-third:
There are three valid modes of cleo
ton. The first of these, and tn
ordinary method is by scrutiny; tn
second, compromise, and the third b
what is known as quasi inspiration
BY compromise is meant when all tn
Cardinals, finding that it is an impo:
sibility for any candidate to be electe
under the method of scrutiny, agre
to intrust the election to a committe
OF three or five of their number Tn
last time that compromise" wa
resorted to was in 1899. when tn
conclave, after six months OF scrutin,
appointed a committee Of thre
Cardinals, who elected Pope Plus vi
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