The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-27
PAGES
9 to IL.

day after the funeral all Is In readiness
for the coming conclave. AS its ses-
sions must be held IL possible whore the
late pope died, the next conclave viii no
doubt be held in the Vatican. In the
conclave hall OF which viii In due time
be erected the customary cells In which
each cardinal. with two attendants. who
must have been members OF his house,
hold for half year previous. remains
shut off from all intercourse with the
outside world until the choice OF the
new pope has been made. Each cardi-
nal draws his cell by lot and may not
exchange it. According TO the code of
procedure drawn UP in 1873 by Plus TX
and Cardinal Pecci. the present pope.
one-half plus one OF the members OF :
the sacred college constitute a quorum.
Thus, IL there are no vacancies, the
presence OF 36 cardinals is sufficient for
the legal election of the pontiff; but
what with its master of ceremonies.
secretary. confessor. physician, BARRIERS
and serving men, the personnel of a
conclave usually numbers more than
200 souls.
The celebration of the mass of the
Holy Ghost and the delivery by some
eminent prelate of a service fitted to
the occasion precede the formal OPEN 4
ing of the conclave. At their conclu-
sion the procession forms i'm front OF
the church in which they are held for
the march TO the Vatican. The master
OF ceremonies, bearing the papal cross.
leads the way followed by the papal
choir and the cardinals. bishops. priests
and deacons in the order OF their rank.
The latters attendants march immedi-l
ately behind the master OF ceremonies.
all L..
seers bring up the rear. The vaticanl
reached. the long line proceeds to the 3
chapel. where the dean of the sacred
college kneels at the altar and recites
the prayer Deus qui corda fidelium.''1
Then the cardinals. after pledging obe-
dience TO the ordinances governing the
election of a pope and a brief rest in
the retirement OF their rooms, receive
their friends until the third hour after
sunset, when a bell rung thrice warns ,
all but members OF the conclave and
their servitors to retire. AS soon as
the last laggard has taken his leave
the door is locked within and without.
and thereafter until their task is fin
ished the cardinals have no communi-
cation with the world. their food being
passed TO them through a dumbwaiter
and cooked and eaten inside.
Balloting begins on the morning of
the second day in the Sis.ine chapel.
which in the meantime has been ar
ranged as voting place. Ranged
round the walls are chairs or thrones
for the voters. each with a baldachin
suspended about it and fronted by a
table holding ink, pens and papers and
list OF the sacred college. In the
center OF the chapel is another table
furnished with three stools and bearing
two vases. one for receiving the votes
before and the other after they have
been counted. Beside them are ink and
writing tools. other lists, a frame and
balls for checking the names OF the
voters ar Ian ebony box with lock and
key for collecting the balls of the car
dinals whom illness compels to remain
in their cells.
The members Of the conclave, after
| having heard mass and taken COM
munion. assemble about 10 O'Clock and
| proceed to ballot, first, however.
choosing three scrutators and an equal
number Of infermieri, the one to count
| the ballots and the other to collect the
votes Of the sick. At the top OF a sheet
of paper about four inches long and
three broad each cardinal writes his
| name, i'm the middle that Of the candi-
date whom he favors and at the bot
tom some motto from the Scriptures,
after which, having folded and sealed
1t so that only the candidates name
can be seen, he advances to the table
and deposits ii In the vase. When all
the ballots have been deposited or coll
leoted, the first scrutator takes them
from the vase, one at time. and OPEN
ing it only so far as to expose the mot
to passes 1t to the second. who, enter
ing the vote opposite the candidates
name on the list. hands 1t to the third,
! by whom il is read aloud
If no election results, the cardinals
adjourn to their quarters for dinner. re-
assembling late in the afternoon for a
| second ballot which differs from the
first in that each prelate. instead of
supporting his favorite, must vote for
his second choice. This process, called
"acceding." is intended to break any
deadlock that may exist. but seldom
serves to effect its purpose. the cardi-
nails, as a rule. casting random votes
| for candidates with little or no chance
of success. Most of the cardinals are
masters of political strategy and OF the
art of prolonging contest when time
| may be fighting on their side In this
way the conclave of 1900 was made to
last 10i days. while often what seems a
| foregone conclusion Is altered at the
! last moment. as was the case in 1923,
when a candidate who had almost
reached the goal was defeated by the
rumor that he had once drunk chocolate
| on fast day.
| At last, however the longest conclave
draws to a close, the final ballot Is
reached and the scrutators proclaim
that two-thirds of the ballots having
been cast for one cardinal. he is elect
ed. Then the election Is made unani-
nous. and all the cardinals conduct the
successful candidate to the altar. where
when the papal robes have been placed
upon him, the sacred college performs
| the first act of alteration to the new
sovereign. After the election has been
proclaimed to the waiting and expect-
ant multitudes outside, there Is Sec
| ond act of alteration in the Sistine
chapel. and then the pontiff is borne on
| ~ - -