The Irish standard., 1896-04-11
WHO WILL S]CGHED leo?
----------------
TIE Head Of the Church IS Get
ting Old and Is Expected to
Drop Out.
Leo Himself Wants TIatters Prop
erly Arranged Before His
Death.
--------------
Greatest rsonarch in Europe Is
Willing to Abide His
Time.

lit has been well said that if ever the
curiosities of histories are gathered into |
a volume, one OF the most curious chap |
ters viii be that which tells Oh the nu-
nerous premature announcements made
during the last 15 years of his life of Pope
Plus the Ninths pending dissolution. An
equally curious chapter may be devoted TO
similar reports concerning Leo the Fnlr-
teenth. AL intervals OF y few months ter
years past word has come, s2ys the New
Orleans Times Democrat, always from
the most authentic sources, that he was
dying. But be still lives and many outliye
many Of those prophets Of evil. It Is,
however. certain that he has come 70 re-
gard his remaining span of life as proba- 4
bly very short He has made his will,
and uttered his final political and ecclesi-
asticaI messages. Finally he has, within
a few weeks, issued instructions, or com-
maaods, which are TO govern the cardinals
In their choice oil his successor. He does
not, of course attempt 10 indicate upon
whom their choice shall fall, nor to in-
pose upon them or upon the next Pope
any particular line of action. On the.
contrary, the tenor of mis- commands l.
directly opposed to any such attempt on
the part og/anyone.
~'rhe Mrdinals.' says the Pope, ''Te
not to 8ut forth, nor to a3cept from 9TH
ers, an proposals regarding the political
conduit Of the future pontiff; for the
the next Pope should observe
arg already set forth III the pontihcal
and iii papal bulls II would
Be q grave offense for cardinals 70 az
tempt to alter these. precise dispositions
la order that they might secure some par
tianlar .eleetiogl. Ifvany cardinals shah
have given undertakings to follow GER
tain line of conduct in order to influence
the election they are required On entering
the next eonclave to renGlrnce all such
obligations under severest penalty BY In
! PRODUCING extraneous and agitating ele-
ments into the election of the pontiff,
they would be acting to the detriment Of
those rights and duties which the elected
one sWears to observe and defend
The Pope recommends that the choice
of his successor be made as promptly a.
possible as after his death; Tor, he says,
| long-protraeted contest might produce
| confusion and impair the authority Of the
new pontiff, and that, in these troabiouf
times, would be sore disaster. Doubt
less it would. The Political Toes CT the
papacy are reckoning upon there being 9
! crisis in its fortunes at the death OF Lee
XIII. They reckonad upon the same al
| the death of Plus *. They were gisap-
pointed then, and doubtless will he again
Who will be chosen to succeed Leo Nil
cannot, of course, be predicted. But thi:
may confidently be expected, that he wii
be chosen promptly, and his election cor
daily acquiesced in by all, and then every
thing will 30 on just as before, There
will be no break in the fortunes OF thi
ancient church.
II There is no more impressive gathering
in the world than papal conclave, am
il none. perhaps, less known to the world
For it is held in the sstrictest privacy
Not only are no reporters or visitors 2
any kind admitted, but the cardinal
themselves are close prisoners white
lasts. Three days are spent I'm solemn re
cuien mass for the dead Pope. The.
are celebrated by the cardinals in N
Sistine Chapel Then all the cardinals
each accompanied by a servant aRd
chaplain, are securely locked UP IN a Ger
tain portion Of the Vatican They ar
not locked in, but the outer gate is actu
ally walled UP with masonry, and stric
: guard is kept outside to prevent any al
ltenlpt at communication between thef
| and the world And thus they are ker
until they have chosen q new Pope.
matters not what may happen. II on
!, of the cardinals should die during Oh
! coaclave. no one outside would know
! until after the election II there shonl
! I be q revolution ana the king Of Ital
j | should be dethroned and the tempors
l sovereignty of the papacy should be rt
l i stored. none of the cardinals would lSnO'
I | it until they were able tn announce "Ps
! nam Habemus' us''-4ewe have a Pope
The conclave assemblies II the Sistir
Chapel for a preliminary meeting, all
i while there the walIing in VI the sui
rounding court is effected. Then a selem
procession is formed, with the heredital
marshal of the church and guardian of 81
conclave at its head. # consists 0f 81
" guards Of the Vatican who are to r
\. main on duty during the c0nelaTe, =
4 curely walled in from the cutter world, an
y as securely locked out from the conclaN
= itself. This procession makes the rom
!. Of the court and buildings, TO see "a;
Y every means of communication with y
4 1 world ii closed. Finally it reaches u
n great door leading into the quarters
the conclava There the marshal loci
the door on the outside. to keep the ca
, d.nals III, and the cardinals lick It On i
" inside. To keep the guards ous. Then :
Y IL ready for the serious work of the 60
h clave Each cardinal, as I have said h
n with him a servant ami chaplain, III
e has three rooms il whlel 70 live. Speci
7 kitchens are arranged within the incl
sure to provide for fc1d Tor The nembe