The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-09
ELECTION OF A POPE.
solemn Ceremony When the Com
cIave of Cardinals Meets.

From the Fortnghtly Review.
Since Stephen III the Popes have been
invariably chosen from among the Car
dinals, except under very peculiar cir
cumstances. The following popes have
been elected without having previously re-
ceived the purple and were either bish-
ops or priests at the time they ascended
the chair of Peter Gregory V. 1885, Syl-
vester II, $685. Clement II, 1915; Damascus
IL, 104S St. Leo /, 1858; Alexander II,
1861, Calixtus II, 11l9; Eugenius " 1145;
Urban ", 1861 Blessed Gregory 1271; ST
Celestin V, 1894. Clement V, 1905; Ur-
ban V, 1862; Urban W. 1873
Each cardinal is granted church in or
about Rome, dis iinguished either for the
relics it contains or for being erected over
the scene of some conspicuous martyrdom.
The Sacred College at present, when
complete, consists of seventy members
six cardinal bishops, fifty cardinal priests
and fourteen cardinal deacons. The newly
created cardinal receives, as a sort of life
gift. one of the aforesaid principal Roman
churches, whose affairs he is obliged to
keep in repair, and it is also a rule that
during his term of office his hat and coat
of arms must be hung up over the prin-
cipal entrance. The cardinal in taking
possession of this church adds It's name to
his title.
secret
The cardinals are elected in what is
termed a consistory, or meeting of the
Sacred College, of which there are two
kinds, private and public. At the secret
one none but the Pope and their emiuen-
ceS are present. On the contrary in the
public consistory, when the cardinals re-
ceve their insignia of office. that is to
say the scarlet beretta colotta, etc, the
foreign amba doris and minister's the
a.r,l effaf Of .l.a
tinction are allowed to attend the striking
ly picturesque ceremony.
Alexander III. I'm HIS at the Council of
the Lateran, definitely settled that cardi-
nails should exclusively vote at papal
election. The number of cardinals, how
ever, at this time had not been determin-
ed nor was ii so for a long time after
ward. for we find Boniface VIII QO0
elected by conclave, consisting of only
eighteen cardinals; Boniface TX 1850 by
thirteen: Gregory XII. at the Council of
Lyons in 1873, ordained that the papal
elections should actually take place in a
council or conclave expressly arranged
for the purpose, Before this the Sacred
College had assembled for the papal cleo
ton sometimes in St. Peters. at st. John
of Lateran, or even at the Minerva. Dur
ing the past three centuries, and espe>
cially the first half of the present many
have been elected at the Qurlnal
After the Burial.
The conclave should by right assemble
as soon as possible after the P@pe's bur-
ial, even in the afternoon of the same
day, as has been frequently the case. The
first formally organized conclave was
convoked at Viterbo. in 1910, and lasted
longer than any other on record, and re-
suited in the election OF Gregory Y. 1t
appears that the cardinals who We're in
Viterbo at the time OF the death OF Glenn
ent " and who. composed the conclave,
could not arrive at a conclusion as TO
who was to succeed him After sitting for
many months they were about to pack
np and return to Rome, where St Bona
venture persuaded the Viterbans to sur,
round their palace so as to prevent their
leaving 1t, a proposal which was hailed
with glee by the people, who intimated
to the cardinals that they should remain
shut up where they were until they had
accomplished their mission. However.
even this expedient did not hasten mat
ters. and two years elapsed before the
prelates could make an end OF their ses-
sion. they remaining virtually prisoners
all the time.
Three Doctors Provided.
The cardinals are allowed to bring with
them "a supply of wines cordials and