The Portland daily press., 1896-04-18

1875, there were present 81 cardinals, the
largest number on record. Only four OF
them had been in the former conclave,
all the rest having been made cardinals
during the pontificate CT Plus TX. Ihe
electoral sessions are held in the Sistine
chapel. High over the head of each is a
canopy which can be loweved to its
proper place by means of cord and pull
ley. Only one will thus be lowered; the
one over him who shall be chosen pope.
Until that moment all the cardinals are
equally sovereign. Before each Is small
table, with papers, pens, ink, wax and
seal. Before the altar stands a larger
table for the use of the three cardinal
| scrutators, or tellers. On the altar itself
is an enormous chaliee covered with tn e
paten and a book of the gospels. When
AL is thus ready the voting begins.
Each cardinal writes upon sheet of
paper his ballot, worded thus: IT Car
dinal -, elect my Lord Cardinal -
to be supreme pontiff." This he writes
in peculiar order, so that he can then
fold the paper in such a manner that his
the name of the candidate voted for be
visible on the outside. He must not but
upon the paper his oardinalitial mark Of
dignity, or anything else to distinguish
| it from the others, any such mark upon
any one ballot making that entire poll
the cardinal goes forward to the altar,
holds the ballot aloft in his right hand,
places his left hand upon the book of the
gospels, and says, aloud: 81 call to wit
ness Christ the Lord, who is to be my
judge, that / elect him whom I judge
according to God, ought to be elected,
and that l will do the same at the Access
sion" Then he places the ballot, folded
and sealed, upon tho paten, and inclines
the paten So as to let the ballot slip into
| the chalioe. When all have thus voted.
the scrutators examine and count the
ballots, and announce the result. A
two-thirds vote is necessary to elect.
The last conciave was held, as stated,
in February, 1878. On the 18th it was
formally walled in and locked in, and
| that afternoon the oath was administered
| to the members. The first ballot was
cast on the morning of February 10. and
was declared void because one of the car
dinals Inadvertently put an identifying
mark upon his paper. In tine afternoon
a second ballot was taken, and it was
found that Cardinal Pecci had received
a majority Of the votes, but not the re-
| quired two-thirds. The third and last
ballot was taken the next morning, when
Cardinal Pecci received A out of 63 votes,
and was thus elected pope. AS soon as
| this result was announced to the con-
clave, the venerable dean of the sacred
college asked Cardinal Pecci If he would
accept the office to which he had been
chosen. g am most unworthy Of the
honor,'' was the reply; "but since the
conolaye has chosen me, relying upon
Gods assistance ami bowling to his will
I do accept" The dean then asked him
| by what name he would be called, and he
replied, "Leo Kill" in memory of Leo
XII. for whom he had always cherished
a peculiar veneration.
Two of the cardinals then escorted him
to the altar, where he knalt in pray err
for a short time. They then took him
behind the altar, where he took off his
cardinals ring and put on the papal Ie-
gala, to wit, white stockings, red velvet
shoes, white cassock, red velvet mozetta,
stole and white skull cap. Thus attired,
he came forth, administered to the cardi-
nails the papal blessing and took his seat
in the papal chair, which, since the be-
ginning of the conclave, had been stand
ing empty near the altar. Thus seated,
he received the obeisance of the cardinals
Each in turn came forward and kissed
Finally, the Fisherman's ring was placed
upon his finger.
| 1t was now about noon. An enormous
crowd of people thronged St. Peters,
eagerly waiting for the announcement of
the election, but of course not knowing
whether it would be made that day or
not. The cardinals decided to let the
proclamation be made at once, SO the
officers and guards of the concave were
admitted to offer their homage to the
new pope, and then the first cardinal
deacon proceeded to ST. PETERS and made
the public announcement, "Papan
Habemus." Until 4 O'Clock that after.
noon the new pope and the cardinals re-
manned IN retirement and repose. Then
Leo XIII came forth to the central loggia
OF the great facade Of ST. Peters to pro-
nouuce his first pontifical benediction
There are two windows in that loggia
One looks out over the Eternal city, the
other into the interior of the vast church
Former popes had appeared at the first
named, and thus pronounced the bene.
diction upon the whole world. But now
for the first time Rome was no more the
papal city. The temporal sovereignty
was gone. That window looked out now
upon "partibus inidelium." Accord
ingly Leo XIII turned his back upon II
and appeared at the other window look
ing into the church. There, at least, he
was still sovereign, and every foot o1
space was thIongsd with his loyal sub
jects. SO closely were they packed thai