The Irish standard., 1896-04-11

electric call bells for the convenience of
the cardinals
a solemn oath Is administered to each |
member of the conclaye at the FIRST sit-
ting AIT the last conclaye, III Eenrnary, |
1878. there We're present 63 cardinals. the
largest number on record. Only four of
them had been in the former conclaye, |
All the rest having been made cardinals
during the pcntidcate OF Plus TX The
electoral sessions are held in the Sistine
Chapel High over the head Of each is a
canopy. which can ha lowered to its prop-
er place By means Of cord and pulley.
Only oDe will thus be lowered the one
over whom shall tie chosen Pope Until
that moment all the cardinals are equally
sovereign. Before each is a small table
with papers, pens, ink, wax and seal. Be-
fore the altar stands a larger table, for
the use Of the three cardinal scrutators,
or teIlers. Or the altar itself Is an enor
mDlts chaiice, covered with the paten and
Book of the Gospels. When all il
thus ready the voting begins.
/ Each cardinal writes upon q sheet Of
paper, worded thus: II, Cardinal -.
elect ny Lord Cardinal - 70 be-
Supreme Pontiffr This he writes in aT
peculiar odor, so that he can then fold
the paper in such a. manner that his own
name viii be concealed, and 0nly the
name o9 the candidate voted for be Wis
ible on the outside. ne must not put upon
the paper his cardinalitiaI mark Of dig
nifty, or anything else to distinguish it
from the others, any such mark upon amy
one ballot making that entire polling
void Having prepared his ballot, the
cardinal goes forward to the altar, holds
/ the ballot aloft in his right hand. places
his left hand upon the Book of the Cos
| pels, and says aloud: II call TO witness
| Christ, the Lord, Who is to be my judge,
| that elect him whom | judge, accord
| ing To Cod, ought to be elected. and that
| I will do the same at the accession. Then
| he places the ballot, folded and sealed,
upon the psAen, and inrlines the paten
50 as to leF. the ballot slip into the chalice.
| When all have thus voted, the seTntators
examine and count the ballots. and an
nounce the result A twO-thrds vote is
necessary to eject
| The last sconelave was held, as stated. IN
| February, 1878 On the 18th it was for
mally walled In and locked In, and that
| afternoon the oath was administered to
4 the members. The first ballot was cast
ON the morning OF February 19, aald was
! declared void because one Of the cardinals
inadyerteiiy put al Identifying mark
uDon his paper I'll the afternoon seeond
ballot was taken anu 1t was found that
Cardinal Pecci had received a majority
of the votes, but not the required two
thirds. The third and last ballot was
taken the next morning, when Cardinal
" Pecci received "A out Of 81 votes, and was
thus elected Pope As soon rs this re-
suit was announced TO the c0nclave the
venerable dean of the Sacred College
asked Cardinal Peeci if b. would accept
the Office to which he had been chosen.
~ am most unworthy of the honor" was
the reply; but since the conclave has
chosen me, relying upon Gods assist
ii 4anCe AMI bowling to His Will, do accept.
The dean then asked him by what name
Tile would Be called, and replied, .'Leo
XIII. " III memory Of Leo XII, for whom
he had always cherished d peculiar ven
eration.
Two of the cardinals then escorted him
TO the altar. where he knelt in prayer fol
| a short time They then took him behind
|, | the altar, where be took off his cardinals
ring end put On the papal regalia, town..
white stockings. red velvet shoes. white
oassock. red velvet mozAatta stole and
. white skull cap. Thus attired, he came
forth, administered to the cardinals ths
papa1 blessing, and took his seat III the
VI pap chair, which, since the beginning VI
J the conclave; had been standing empty
! near the altar Thus seated. he received
the obeisance of the cardinals. Zach ir
turn came forward and kissed his foot
: his hand and both of his cheeks. Finally
] | the Fisherman 5 ring was placed upon his
, finger.
1t was now about noon An enormou!
, crowd of people thronged St. Peters, Gag
I erIy waiting for the announcement Of th1
tor or
w II would he made that day Or not. Tn
7 cardinals decided to let the proclamation
!. be made at once 50 the officers and guard
, of the conclave were admitted to offe
/ their homage to the new Pope, and the
the first cardinal deacon proceeded t
ISL. Peters and made the public announce
u rnent tsPapall Habemus." Until o'clocl
o that afternoon the new Pope and the car
a dinaIs remained In retirement and repoSe
Then Leo XIII. caIne forth to the centva
lOggia of the great facade Of st. Peter
G to pronounce his first benedicton. Their
d ! are two windows Id that loggia. On
L looks out over the Eternal CITY the othe
N into the interior of the vast church. Form
If er Popes had appeared at the first named
IS and thus pronounced the benedictio
II upon the whole world But now for til
y first time Rome was no more the Pap
" 1lLy. Al liz ltllpDldi SONGiEAs5IlLy H<5 e,JLf
q That window looked out now upon "paa
5, tibus infidel.um" Accordingly Leo XII
a turned his back upon il and appeared !
y the other window looking into the churci
e There, AT least, he Nss still sovereign, an
h every foot of space was thrCnged with b
ct loyal subjects. So closely were the
t. packed that they had to remain Rtandin
D. there was not room for them to knee
Ut He presented himself at the window, II
II cardinals about him, and ERelt a ms
Id nlent i'm prayer, while the mighty multi
10 tude was silent as the grave. Then
it rose and with him there rose a Cry ths
Id made the great dome quiver with i
" stress, Viva Papa Leonei Three tim'
IL ~ rang ont with a volume that sho'tl
e. have made II audible 70 the king IN "
Nm Quirfnai- Then the cardinals raised the
an heads to command silence, ana the Poi
intDned, with a clear. son0rous voice, *
le solemn words Of the ponti6cal benedi
III ton. II IS said that the Italian gunne
r. at the castle Of ST. Angelo were standiT
IN at the guns, ready TO fire the customal
rv salute when the Pope appeared. as b
he h predecessors had done. at the outer WI
na dow of the leggia- But he did not appe;
W lat that window. ard 50 the salute "
~ never fired Thus was marked the I
ld 4 tranemant between Pope and king wink
We has continued to the present day, with
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