The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12
THE ELECTION OF A Pope
Course of Proceedings Followed by
the Cardinals.
The Probable Method to he Pur-
sued I'm Choosing Successor to
the Present Head of the Church
of Rome - The secret COpcIavc.

4
| sued I'm Choosing n Successor to
| the Present Head of the Church
| of Rome - The secret COpcIavc.
| The election of the successor to Pope
| Leo Kill in the event of the latters de-
| cease. will cause the eyes of the entire
Christian world to centre. with more or
less of interest. on Rome. As many de-
| tails of a Papal election may be unknown
| to the great mass of people. the follow
| ing account of the function will prove
| interesting. Probably no one need be told
| that at the death of Pope the Cardi-
| nails who are then present in Rome as
| semble and choose one among their num-
Der to fill the chair of Saint Peter. This
reunion is called hesconclave (cum claws
under lock and key). because the Car
| dinals are carefully locked up until after
\ the proclamation of the name chosen.
| The regular number of Cardinals COM
| posing the Sacred College is seventy. but
it is rare that more than sixty are pres
| ent; many are absent from Rome, and
ordinarily the conclave is composed of
only forty or forty-flve. Unless some de-
parture from the customary usage be
| made in the next Papal election. the fol-
| lowing will be the ceremonies observed:
|
the deceased Pope the Cardinals assemble
| at the Pontifical Palace. On reaching the
Pauline chapel the apostolic bull will be
| read, converting the conclave, and the
Cardinals will take the required oath,
swearing to elect the most worthy among
| their number. They then proceed to their
respective cells. where they receive the
visits of diplomatists, of officials, and of
| the Roman nobility. with a crowd of dis
tinguished persons. During the night
tnearly at midnighD the signal is given,
repeated three times at haif-hour inter-
walls, and all strangers leave the conclave
The key is then turned on the various
Cardinals, who remain thus in their cells,
in company with certain of their atten-
dants. while, without the cells, is sta
TONED the guardian of the conclave
known as the perpetual marshal, or gov
ernor of the Holy Church.
Along a vast gallery the two rows of
cells are ranged, separated by a corridor
for service. Each cell is formed of thin
wooden partitions, and is furnished or
decorated, according to the taste of the
occUrant, In green or violet serge, and
with his coat-of-arms above the door. In
conformity with the apostolic constitu-
ton these cells must be of uniform size,
same floor. Each cell contains small
room for the Cardinal and retreat for
his conclavists and assistants.
They have no chimneys, and are warmed
from the large hall outside. Should the
time be winter, all the windows are
blocked up. with the exception of a single
pane of glass, and in each retreat there is
almost entire obscurity. In summer the
windows open upon court or garden.
Each cell hassabout forty. square yards of
space. They are drawn by lot, and it is
not rare to find Cardinals of opposite
opinion beside each other.
Then, owing to the thinness of the par
titious, great precautions are taken not to
be overheard on the other side. In his cell
the Cardinal Is assisted by his secretary
and a gentleman. who are called con-
clayists The Cardinals who have the
service obliges the holder TO perform the
duties of a domestic, which. however. does
not deter young prelates from eagerly
seeking the position. A sacrfstan and
sub-sacristan, a confessor, a sacristan of
the college, four masters of ceremonies,
two DOCTORS two apothecaries. two bar
bers, with two aids, mason, carpenter,
and twelve facchini-valets dressed in vic
let costume-compose the service of til.
conclave.
When the Cardinals have entered their
cells, after being solemnly warned to with
draw IL they do not feel strong enough to
hold out to the end of the election, all
doors are locked, and the college is cum
claws. or in conclave. All the avenues are
guarded within and without as far as the
Castle of st. Angelo. and throughout the
Via Longata. 1t Is by the towers of the
palace that food Is brought in and IL is
by them that communication is held with
the ambassadors without. in presence and
with the authorization of the chefs
dordre. placed under the control OF the
High Cardinal Camertinque, who exercises
Papal authority during the interim. II a
Cardinal Is taken sick he can leave the
conclave but cannot enter IL again. The
apostolic chamber pays all expenses, pro-
vides for the Cardinals tables, gives them
service. except when. is generally the
case, they prefer to be waited on by their
own servants.
The transport of the dinners forms a
long cortege On arriving at the Vatican
each chef names his own master, and the
doors are opened to him. but he is al
food are examined The guards have the
right to open the fowls. the pies, the
game, and the fish, all that can contain
a secret communication. The glasses and
bottles must De transparent. The dishes
must have no suspicion of false bottoms.
Everything is infinitely examined and
probed. But it is said that in spite of
these precautions, it is by the ailments
that secret Communications are conveyed,
and that the dishes have been made to
represent hireogiyphic alphabet. The
dessert is rumored to be. above all. rich
in emblems and the fruits may have a
peculiar language.
1t is said that a piece of news once
transmitted in a nutshell destroyed the
chances of a man who would have been
elected and overturned all the combina-
tions. A French Ambassador is rumored
to have been the author of this ruse. 1t
is in the famous Sextine chapel that the
votes are placed after being taken. with
a thousand precautions, from the Cardf-
nails Each vote, prepared in advance by
the conclavists, contains the name of the
candidate and of the voter, with a partic-
ular device. which Is also written upon
the outside. The votes Of sick candidates
are brought by infirmiers; the others are
delivered in person, and placed in locked
box. In the chapel they are received in
the presence of many people. and great
care is taken to prevent fraud.
To be elected Pope two-thirds of the
votes are necessary. The votes annulIed
are Immediately burned, and faint
smoke arising from a certain chimney in
the Vatican is the sign to the lynx-eyed
populace waiting in the open place in
front Of st. Peters that the votes have
been taken.
ODD THINGS IN A DRY STATE.