The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-31
THE ELECTION OF A POPE.
1t Rests With the Cardinals Alone Assem-
bIed in a ConcIave-The Manner Etc.

bIed in a ConcIave-The Manner Etc.
The manner of electing a pope of the
Roman church, says the Cincinnati COM
mercidl Gazette, is not an uninteresting
subject at the present time, in view of the
feeble health of the reigning pontiff, Leo
NH, and the probable necessity for the
naming of his successor at no distant day.
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-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 delayed
nor precipitated; that the electors should
be in no fear for their personal safety, and
that they must not be subjected to any
external persuasion in casting their vote.
Immediately upon the death of a pope one
of the secretaries of the Sacred college
notifies each cardinal of the pontih's
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 NH 90 to Madrid for an
asylum, as has been moOted during the
last 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 vati-
can 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
conclusion of which the cardinals form in
procession and march to the conclave.
The conclave is open to the public during
the whole of the first day, and friends OF
the electors are permitted to visit them.
At 8 o'clock that evening the conclave is
closed; everybody is turned out except
the cardinals and their immediate attend
ants, and no visitors are allowed to enter
the portals again until the election OF
pope has been declared.
The conclave is under the absolute
charge of two guardians. One of these is
a prelate of high standing, previously Sc
lected by the Sacred college, and is called
the governor. The other is a prominent
layman, whose official appellatiOn is mar
shall. Each cardinal is allowed to have
two members of his resident household in
personal attendance upon him. 4 num-
Der OF other attendants and minor of
ficials are also there in the common service
of the conclaye, 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 en-
main open, and that is in charge of pre-
latte officials.
They must exercise a strict surveillance
over everybody going in or out, and pre-
vent the entrance of unauthorized per-
sons. They must also examine the food
brought for the cardinals, for the purpose
of preventing outside communication with
them through this channel. Three DAYS
after the commencement of the conclave,
if no result has been obtained, the supply
of food is restricted. The rule used to pre-
vail thatsif at the end of five days no cleo
ton had been made the cardinals were
compelled to subsist on bread, wine and
water, but during the last half century, the
rlgor of this rule has been much abated
and modified.
Every morning and evening the cardi-
nails meet in the chapel and a secret
scrutiny bv means of voting papers is in
stituted, so as to ascertain if any candidate
has obtained the required majority of two
thirds. There are three valid modes of
election. The first OF these, and the ordn-
airy method, is by scrutiny; the second
compromise, and the third by what is
known as quasi inspiration. BY compro-
mise is meant when all the cardinals, find
ing that it is an impossibility for any can
didate to be elected under the method Of
scrutiny, agree to intrust the election to a
committee of three or five of their num-
Der. The last time that compromise was
resorted to was in 1899, when the con-
clave, after six months of scrutiny, APP
pointed a committee of three cardinals,
who elected Pope Plus VII.
II will be readily seen how difficult,
under the ten-day law and ordinary cir
cumstances, it would be for an American
cardinal to participate in the election OF a
pope.