The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
CREATION OF CARDINALS
THE COMPOSITIONS AND THE DUTIES
OF PAPAL CONSTsTORIEs.
The Secret and the Public Sfeetsnr.
and the Regulations and Cere-
monies Peculiar to Each.
.Ex.Attache., in New work. Trihnne

Papal consistories are always a subject
of considerable interest, not alone to Cath
olics, but also to the members of other re-
ligious denominations throughout the CIV
ilized world, owing to the fact that they
are held for the purpose of the creation of
the members of the sacred college, to which
+ has been confided for the past four or five
centuries the election of the pope. But the
one which will take place early in the new
year, possibly in January, in connection
with the sixtieth anniversary of Leo Kills
ordination TO the priesthood is attracting
even more than the customary attention in
consequence of the report that the holy
s father will avail himself of the occasion
to proclaim the names of the two cardinals
whom he raised to the rank of princes of
the church al the midsummer consistory
of 1896, but whose identity has ever since
then remained unknown to everyone. even
in the prelates chiefly concerned, the secret
being locked up in the pontin's breast
whence the expression, lin pectore," which
has been corrupted into lin petto." The
belief that these two cardinals are at length
TO be proclaimed is confirmed by the fact
that, although it has been officially init
mated that ten cardinals, mostly Italians,
will be nominated at the forthcoming con-
sistory, for the purpose of restoring the nu-
merical predominance of the Italian ele-
ment in the sacred college, the Pope has
given orders to Contra, the pontifical hat
ter, not for ten, but for twelve, red hats
Much speculation prevails with regard to
the identity of the two cardinals in petto
but the concensus of opinion in Catholic
and more especially in Vatican circles is
that they are foreigners.
1t may be as well TO give a few words
OF explanation of this custom of creating
rs3frr ole in,
little is known outside the ranks Of the Ro-
man Catholic clergy. 1t originated with
Pope M n V, in the fifteenth century,
In those days the sacred college exercised
TO far greater degree than to-day it's pow
ers as the senate of the church, and fire.
quently replied to the question put to it by
the pontiff OF "Quid vobis videtur?-which
may be translated as DO you see any
thing to object to this?"-with mon
piacet; that is to say, 1T does not please
as" The Pope was usually pretty we'll
cognizant before the consistory took place,
or the sentiment of the sacred college
with regard 10 the candidates Tor member
snip, and therefore avoided putting 10 open
vote the nomination Of the prelates TO whom
he knew there would be Overwhelming op-
position By creating them cardinals III
petto, awaiting a more favorable opportu-
nifty TO proclaim their names. Their patent
of appointment, and consequently their SEN
iorIty, dated from the moment OF their ere
none OF the prerOgatiVeS of their rank until
publicly proclaimed; while, ii the pontiif
who had made the nomination happened to
die before the proclamation in question had
taken place, it for the college to decide
itself Mhetner their creation WAS to be rec
ognzed and whether they were TO be adj
mitted to the conclave for the election of a
successor to the chair of ST Perer. There
have been times when the college has re-
FUSED TO Go this, but where the injustice
has been repaired by the new Pope, who has
confirmed the dignity out Of Difference to
u ia
instances cardinals created in petto have
lived and died without having their dignity
confirmed.
CARDINALS IN PETTO.
OF course there are other reasons besides
the opposition of the sacred college that
lead the pontif to create cardinals in petto.
Sometimes it is a consideration of ecclesi-
astical policy that induces him to take this
step, While there are instances where he
has been known to act thus for the purpose
of disciplining prelates who, while worthy
of admission to the college, have discounted
their honOrs, so to speak, in advance. There
is one popular member of the sacred coll
lege whose creation was held in petto for
at least two years, solely because of the in
discretion of his relatives, most of them
members of the court Of the Vatican, in
taking it upon themselves to thank the
holy father for the honor destined to their
kinsman before Leo XIII had given any
IN question of the elevation IN store
Tor INN. intriguers aware OF this
ing his hand forced either in the creation
OF cardinals or in the exercise of any other
of his prerogatives, turn 1t to account by
publishing in the press assertions that the
pontm has decided to confer ecclesiastical
digniues upon any prelate to whom they
are opposed, fully realizing that there is
nothing that is better calculated to induce
his holiness to withhold the honor than
its premature and unauthorized announce
ment.
The consistory may be divided into two
parts the secret and the public. AT the
secret consiStory the sacred college is
questioned to the creation of cardinals.
A chair is brought and placed at the right
hand of the pontff, while all the cardinals
stand ranged against the wall at distance
out of earshot of the papal throne. Ad-
yancing. with the customary obeisances. the
dean Of the sacred college places hlmseH
in the empty chair, and the Pope there
upon tells him in a low voice the name of
the prelate upon whom he proposes TO con-
fer a hat adding: "Quid voDis Videtur2'
to which the cardinal in question replies
either with the words ''Placet'' or else Non
placCt." One by one all present similar
" interrogated, and then the Pope eXclalms,
Dec gratais habemus de PERSONS creandis
concordiam omnium fratrum. or QUASI
omnium,' "Majoriis partis, as the
case may be. For not infrequently
aTdnaS present T manifest w ncent
Non placet." in spite of the fact that these
princes of the church have been deprived
of much of their former power. And then
the pOntim at once proclaims the names OF
the new dignitarieS with the words: All
toritate Del Omnipotentis Sanctorum Apos-
toloTum Petri ct PAUL., ct nostri creamuS
Sarctae Romance Ecclesiae Cardinases
Presbyteros Guidem n. n. = diaconos
we're dispensationibus. derogationi-
bus et clauselis necesSariiS ct opportunlS
He then makes the sign of the cross thrice,
saying as he does so: IN nomine PATHS,
ct Filii at Spiritus Sapctis. amen"-and with
that the secret portion OF the consistory
Is at end.
The cardinals thus proclaimed at the Sc
cret cOnsistory do not receive their hats UNI
III the public session of the following con-
sistory, generally a few months later: al
though sometimes the interval is only a
few days. But they enjoy meanwhile most
of the privileges and senatorial rights OF
their rank, including that of voting at a
ccnclaVe should occasion arise. If they
happen to be in Rome, the Pope invests
them in private audience with the scarlet
berctta or cap, while if they are resident
abroad an officer of the noble guard and a
prelate receive the mission OF conveying II
TO the newly created prince of the church:
who is called upon to pay ali expenses OF
the journey. as well fee of S2,Go0 to the
prelate ard of 81 coo to the noble guard
THE PUBLIC EXERCISES.
The public portion of the consistory usu-
ally takes place with much pomp and cere-
mony in the Sala Regia, one of the most