Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-08-30
ELECTING A POPE.
HOW THE PONTIFICAL SUCCESS.
SOR is CHOSEN.
Past and Present Methods-Where
and How Cardinals Meet in
ConcIave Secrecy of
the Proceedings.


subject at the present time, in view of
the feeble health of the reigning Pontiff,
Leo XIII, and the probable necessity for
the naming of his successor at no distant
dav.
Time was when the election of the
supreme head of the Church was vested
in the Cardinal Bishops, ''with the con
sent 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 kingly and i'm
perial right to interfere with Papal cleo
tions was the cause of endless troubles.
1t proved to be fertile source of anti
Popes and other vexations, and finally
became so intolerable that Alexander
Ill, took away from the imperial line
the locus stan65 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 con-
firmed and developed at the Council of
Lyons, presided over by Pope Gregory
", and in all its substantial features the
discipline 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 de-
signated by the same name-conclave
The election of Pope must begin ten
days after the death Of the last incum-
bent. 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 persua-
sion in casting their vote Immediately
upon the death of a Pope one of the
secretaries of the Sacred College notifies
each Cardinal of the Pontiff'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
death occurs.
Should Leo XIII. go to Madrid for an
asylum, as has been mooted, 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 if it be held in another
city. On the tenth day solemn mass is
said, at the conclusion of which the Car
dinals 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 per-
mitted 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, previously
selected by the Sacred College, and is
called the Governor The other is a
prominent layman, whose official appella-
tion is Marshal. Each Cardinal is allowed
to have two members of his resident
household in personal attendance upon
him. A number of other attendants and
minor officials are also there in common
service of the conclave, including sacrist,
a monk or friar to hear confessions, two
or three BARRIERS, eight or ten porters and
q number of messengers. But one en-
trance to che building is allowed to re-
main open, and that is in charge of pre-
late officials.
They must exercise strict surveil-
lance over everybody going in or out, and
prevent the entrance of unauthorized per-
sons. They must also examine the food
brought for the Cardinals, for the pur-
pose of preventing outside communica-
ton with them through this channel
Three days after the commencement of
the conclave, 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 subsist 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 Cardi-
nails meet in the chapel, and secret
scrutiny, by means of voting papers, is
instituted, so as to ascertain if any can
didate has obtained the required ma