Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-05-09
Letter From Frank Harris.
ELECTION OF THE POPE.

ELECTION OF TIE POPE
ROME, Italy, April 90, l9ol.-This
important event in the church is some
thing that think will prove interest
ing to many who although worshiping
ut another altar have the interest of
the church at heart.
| When the Pope is dead the Cardinal
Chamberlin is Immediately summoned
to certify the fact. lie stands by the
corpse and calls out the bsptismal
name of the dead man three times and
at the same time he taps the corpse on
the forehead each time with silver
hammer. lie then removes the Fish
erman's ring from the stiff finger and
defaces 1t. This famous ring has
upon it the seal representing st. Peter
fishing from his boat. A new one is
made for each Pope and his name is
engraved on it. The Pope's body is
then embalmed, the interior portion
being deposited In subterranean
chamber in the church of S. S. Vim
cenzo ed Anastasio, the parish church
of the Quirenial. The body is then
taken to the Sistine Chapel, where 10
is dressed in full pontiticals. 1t then
lies there in state for three days In the
chapel of the sacrement in st. Peters,
and is afterwards placed in coffin in
side of two others and temporarily
buried in niche caphella del coro.
The secretary of the Sacred College
then sends to each cardinal notice of
the death of the Pope and the con-
clave meets ten days after the death of
the Pontitf The conclave is supposed
to have seventy. six cardinal bishops,
fifty cardinal priests, and fourteen
cardinal deacons, but the full number
is very seldom reached.
The cardinals who have arrived in
Rome proceed on the morning of the
eleventh day to the Basilica of st
Peters where the Cardinal Dean cele-
brates Mass. Then they enter the
chapel of the conclave and once hav-
ing entered are not permitted to leave
except in case of serious illness until d
Pope is elected.
In the rooms set apart Cor the con-
clave all the windows and doors are
blocked up, with the exception of one
or two windows for air and light and
one door for the exit of sick cardinal
or the entrance of q late arrival The
key of the inside lock of this door is
kept by the Chsmberlin cardinal and
that of the outside by the cardinal
marshal.
Etch cardinal takes into tie con-
claye two secretaries. The actual
election is By voting papers. Each
cardinal is supplied with ticket on
which he writes the name of the candi-
date he favors and his own name on
the back. Then he folds the paper so.
that only the front can be seen and
atIixes his seal to the back. The papers
are then placed in large vase which
stands on the altar of tho conclave
chapel. Then the votes are counted
and if any cardinal has received two
thirds of the votes, plus one, which is
added to nulify any vote which cardi-
nal may give for himself, he is elected.
The Sacred College has the power of
electing any person whether clerical
or lay. but it has long beer the custom
to choose cardinal.
Three countries, Australia, Spain
and France, have each acquired the
right of one objection or veto to any
election, but tits questionable whether
the veto will ever be used again, or If
used whether the Sacred College would
submit to it. Probably Italy could
not be excluded from any future use
of the power if 1t be retained by the
other countries.
They tell endless stories of fraud
and violence that has been employed
in the conclaves, but this one, while it
wasn't successful, yet / think IT was
one of the smoothest of all, was of the
young cardinal Clbo, aged only twenty
seven, who had of course no chance of
election, yet, at the time of the Sacred
College he was confined to his bed by
q serious, or what was supposed to be
q serious illness. and he had all the
cardinals come to see him one at
time and he asked each one to give
him vote go that he could say that
even If he was IN such trouble as his
present sickness, he would be 80 happy
to just get one vote that all his pain
would be forgotten. Well, they all
promised him their vote, and it wasn't
until just few minutes before the
vote was taken that the discovery
was made. never think of that
cardinal but the thought comes to me
that he should have gone to Chicago.
That was the place for him. There
with his fabulous talent he would have
been great; and here he was only
we'll. just missed being great.
And the story of Sextus V is good.
Really he seemed to me to be not only
only one of the Biggest Popes, but one
of the biggest men the world has
known, but I'll not attempt Sextus,
he's about five too many for me.
III. FRANK HARRIS.
Mr. and Mrs VIM Fisher, of Fremont
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