The Portland daily press., 1896-05-01

ence to an ancient custom, first knocks
thrice on the door Of the bed chamber.
Getting no answer, he enters, and taps
thrice with silver mallet on the dead
mans forehead. and thrice calls him by
name. No response coming. the Gamer
lingo declares that the Pope is dead.
Thenceforth the caInerlingo is the most
important of the cardinals, having charge
of the preparations for the conclaye, of
the government of the palace and of the
transactions with the representatives of
foreign powers, to whom he officially an
nounoes the pOpe's death; the papal uard
of Swiss halberdiers attends him when he
goes out; his arms are stamped on the
medal of the vacant see he takes an in
ventory OF the property In the palace and
aftiXes seals to the head pontiff's papers
But in order to prevent him from over
stepping his authority the Sacred College
appoints three cardinals--a bishop,
priest, and deacon-who are called the
Heads of the Orders, and whose business
it is to oversee his acts. They serve for
three days, being replaced by others
choesn III rotation.
Meanwhile the great bell of the Capitol,
the so-called 'tPaterine, has toilet the
| news to the citizens in Rome. Formerly
this was the signal for unlocking the iails
| and for unrestrained disorders. Brokers
| used to set up booths where pools, as at
horse-race, were sold on the probable
next Pope, enormous sums being squan-
dered in this species of gambling; more
recently that scandal has been less open.
Every one is on tiptoe with excitement;
ohurchmen as we'll as laymen display an
eagerness out of tune with the grief in
| which the church is officially declared to
be plunged
| E,,r a ,1r;rr che poyon5io1 or o;ro H..
succeeding the Pope's death. the oele-
bration of his obeequies and the mourn
ing or his loss are supposed to absorb uni
versal attention. His body must first be
embalmed and then attired in funeral ap-
parel. When masses have been said over
it in the presence of the cardinals, it is
removed to St. PETERS where, on mag
nifioent catatalque, it lies in state.
Finally, on the ninth day. the public
funeral-one of the great pageants of the
world-takes place, after watch the body
is coffined and laid away in the temporary
receiving tomb, to rest there until, when
the next Pope dies, 1T is lowered into the
crypt of st. Peters for permanent burial
Needless to say, the funeral ceremonies
| Of the novendial cause u no abatement in
the preparation for the oonolave. The
day after the Pope dies as many cardinals
as happen to be in Rome meet to confer
The Oldest Of their number. the dean of
the college, preslues; Gney swear TO pre-
serve the utmost secrecy concerning all
their proceedings; they renew their oabhs
of allegiance to the holy see, binding
themselves to defend and guard the
rights, prerogatives, and temporal possess
sions of the church Cup to the effusion of
blood); then they discuss questions of
immediate urgency, listen to the reading
Of the laws governing the election, and
hear the oamerlingo's report of his bust
ness. The congregation reassembles each
day, it's numbers being constantly in-
creased by the arrival of cardinals from
distance. -"The Election of Pope,'
by VIM. r. Thayer, In the May Century.