The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-26
ELECTION OF A NEW POPE.
WHIT HAPPENS WHEN THE SUPREME
ROMAN PONTIFF DIES.

Bishop of Rome "Urbi ct Orbi.'
On the eleventh day after the death Of n Pope.
the tenth day in ordinary calculations. but the
eleventh II the day OF the Pope's death is
counted. the Cardinals meet in %conclave to
elect his successor. They meet in the Vatican
palace. where, locked up in a vast suite OF
rooms. every act regulated by laws nearly six
centuries old. they vote daily until they sue
coed in choosing a Pope. The laws governing
the c%nnc,avc ara many and minute. The gen
cral course of the conclavc is set forth here.
The Pope dies. As soon as he Is dead the
officials of the papal court leave the palace
nowad ays. they will simply leave the chamber
ut the dead Pope. for It must not hc forgotten
that tho Pope is still, together with his oni-
c!als. "A prisoner; so outside Of the Vatican the
officials cannot 60 except individually. The
'hrdihal- Camrricngo. or Chamberlain. an
nounccs TO the people OF the court that his
Holiness is dead and then breaks with a ham
mrr the ring of the Fisherman and the seal Of
the dead Pops. The Dean of the Sacred Col
lcgo. the senior Cardinal Priest and the senior
Cardinal Deacon then take charge Of the adj
ministration Of the affairs OF the Church and
send notice to all the Cardinals not in the city.
These Cardinals are not summoned they come
ut once without being called. For ten davs
funeral services are held daily in st. Peters
Church. and thcn tho body is placed in a tenn
rorary resting place.
The period Of ten days is fixed 10y law but 1t
is not obligatory on the Cardinals to obey the
law. In fact. there are several things fixed 10y
the Roman Ceremonial governing the %conclave
that may he disrcgar,icd. SO the ]conclave NAV
begin within ten days. or it may not begin for
n good deal more than ten days. 1t all depcu!e.
But on the appointed day the Cardinals gather
in st. Peters. and the Cardinal Dean celebrates
thp mnSs nj the Holy Ghost After this the (nr-
dirals. Ia procession. singing "Neni. Creator
Spiritus. march to the place of the conclave in
the palace. There the Dean recites the prayer,
Deus qui cordn." and the constitutions gov
crning the conclave are read and the Cardinals
take oath to obey them. During the rest Of the
day the Cardinals receive their friends; but
when evening comes the friends depart and the
Cardinals are shut up: the c%ouc!ave begins.
The Pope. whose importance as actual Bishop
Of Rome was much more apparent formerly
than now. when his duties are so much more
varied than those Of an ordinary Bishop.
was chosen at first by the lcople of the city.
Then grew up. little by little. the restriction to
the Cardinals Of the right Of suffrage in choos-
iug the Pope. The Romans for many years
retained the right Of objectinG to tho choice.
VERY much In the same manner as the for
bidding bans of marriage is now exercised"
! says an English student of the history OF the
| cOnclaNeS. linen, uIter the Glgnt OF the people
had become obsolete. the Emperor asserted
his right to "a controlling voice in the election
but this right depended much on the character
and residence of the Emperor. Three outside
powers still assert Il right to interfere, not
after the election by way uf a veto. but during
the couclaNc, il thcy learn that some Cardinal
to whom they are opposed is likely to be
elected, Thcsr powers n" France, Austria
Srnip forbade. tho election of Cardinal (firS-
tiniani. Inriact that outsId" powers can COM
mnnica," WIN tnrd,Mt'H WITHIN "a" r3nclaLe
! cuu"lavsts are shut ot from the world and rely
Wholly on di>lu" guidance in their use Of the
Ihr conclave itself is creature Of growth.
In its present form II -,e"m~ 70 have begun
mails. for in that year lunoSeut III. died at Pc
rugia. and the p"rnGians shut w the Cardi-
them ont until they had chosen a new Pope
Honoriuus III. Gregory IN. was elected in the
1 nals u TaY' , I@s E E,T :%o.s cnq H'm. III Up 1 81 Grey dr T
DRY Y. was chosen in the. same manner. Only.
in his cnTc TIE rYH"nle Of N'!erh@ removed the
shut up. to max" them decide more quickly.
The reason ior shutting W the Cardinals, uG-
doubleday was 10 hasten the election. the Pope
being In those days tn" temporal ruler of
Rome, and. "a a! aam,niftra5ion was sus,
Interested in getting a new ruler as well as u
So the conclavc begins in the evening of the
eleventh day after the PontifT's death. or cl>r
at some other time. The door is closed and
locked with I'VE keys, one OF which is kept .my
the Cardinal-tamrr!engo. tho. other by the
Governor OF the c]onclavr. "a prnlate chosen by
the Cardinals, A%turninG, box is built into the
are kept by AN outside guard. and by the chief
master Of ceremonies, on the inside. P~relates
OF various grades. changed twice each day.
watch outside that no letters or messages are
brought in, and in theory nothing can reach
inside the Cardinal-D"n and the Camerlengo
make a tour Of inspection every evening to SEES
that all Is safe.
clave than the Cardinals. Zach Cardinal is en-
titled to Two servants. and "a third he is very
feeble. Then there are two sacristans. two
masters Of ceremonies. one religious to hear
confessions. one secretary. who, has one SER
pnnter. one mason, and several general ser
wants. None of these is to be chosen from the
to bring viii, him anybody but actual servants
who have been IN his service for more than a
year, The rule about the npmer Of servants is
and more If he wants them.
The conciavc having begun in the evening Of
cells" These are wooden booths arranged in
the largest hail OF the c~onclaye there. is, ono
Cardinals created by the Pope lust dead are
covered with purple serge. those Of the others
mrnti is placcdthe coat ofarms Of the occupant
Whether or not a Carllnal goes into the con
him abont a thousand dollars. ACCORDING TO
the President Dchrosses.
In the morning the cardinal Dean says n low
mass OF the Holy Ghost, at which all the Cardi-
mails ]recniN" the %c"mmnnion. This is said in
the Sis'iuc or tn" Pauline chapel. Then "A
Srru'iuium or vut" is taken. Only the Cardi-
mails are allowed in tn" chapel ut this time, but
no Cardinal can be kept out. A Cardinal ar
irving late may be admitted, but only a sick
person may leave the conclavo after he is
once in. Even an accommodated Cardinal
may vote.
Three Cardinals. one from each order. are
chosen to act as telIers. In turn the Cardinals
approach the vase on the altar. and. kneelinG,
ITly for Rullunpp. Then they take this Datn,
III call upon God. who will he my Judge, 10
witness that choose the, person whom before
God judg" ought to be elected. and that ! will
do the same on tn" accession and having
sworn they drop their ballots into the vase
The ballots arc prepared thus: At one end the
Cardinal writes hs hNme; he then folds the
ballot So that his name shall not appear as tho
ballot j. amin first. and seals the fold: the
name Of his candidate h" writes IN these
words: g "hon-" forSuprem" iontin the Nest
Revercnd--~' and seals this part of the ballot
hen all the Cardinals present have voted the
tclieTs begin 10 count the ha.lOts. The first
teller. u CARDINAL Bishop. takes ont the ballots.
opens III" first fold. and sr"- the name of the
III