The Irish standard., 1902-01-25

The process of the election of a
Pope now is that Immediately on the
Pope's death, the Cardinals are sum
moned from all parts of the world.
! Wherever the Pope dies, there the cleo
ton must take place, and it must be-
gin on the tenth day after that event.
Within the ten days the conclaye must
be constructed in the Papal palace, or
in some other suitable edifice. The
larger halls of the palace are so divided
by wooden partitions as to furnish a
number Of sets Of small apartments,
all opening upon corridor. Here the
Cardinals must remain until they have
elected Pope. On the tenth day
solemn mass of the Holy Ghost is
said in the Vatican church Il. e., the
sistine chapel-supposing the election
to be in Rome, as ii, usually ISL and
after 1t the Cardinals form process
sion and proceed to the conclave, TAX
ing up their respective apartments as
the lot has distributed them. For the
rest Of that day the conclave is open;
|ecrowds Of persons flock i'm and circu-
late among the apartments and corri-
doris; and the ambassadors and dele
gates Of foreign states, besides their
&personal friends, visit the Cardinals for
the last time. In the evening every
SSsae IL turned out except the Cardinals
and those authorized to remain with
fhem, and the conclave is closed. This
! r. done under the superintendent Of
TIVE guardians Of the conclave-one a
prelate previously appointed by the
Sacred College, who is called the gov
etnor; the other lay official, des-
ignated the "marshal." The church
is anxious to show that in this su-
preme act she does not forget any Of
her children, so the laity are there to
guard their rights, says f. G. Kobe
in the South African Catholic Maya
afne.
An the entrances to the building but
enc are closed; that one is In the
charge Of officials who are partly prel-
ates, partly officials Of the municipal
ity, whose business it ds to see that no
unauthorized person shall enter, and
to exercise surveillance over the food
brought for the Cardinals, lest any
written communication should be con-
veyed to them by this channel. After
three days, the supply of food sent in
is restricted; if five days more elapse
without an election being made, the
. rule used to be that the Cardinals
kshould from that time subsist on moth
Fng but bread, wine and water; but
this rigor has been somewhat modified
by later ordinances. Morning and even
ing the Cardinals meet in the chapel
and secret scrutiny by means Of vo-
ting papers is usually instituted, in Or
der to ascertain whether any candi-
date has the required majority Of two
thirds.
1t is a grand example the church
gives us in thus subjecting her highest
authorities to so severe a discipline for
the common good. It reminds me Of
nothing in the world SO much as Of the
loving violence the working bees do to
their Queen Mother, knowing how es-
sential her well-being is to all Of them.
There are three possible modes Of
election: ~ BY compromise-the
Cardinals cam unanimously agree to
entrust the election to a small com
mittee; (2) By acclamation-if one
man is so evidently the right man that
when the Cardinals meet they all call
out his name together without dis
sentient voice; (9 By scrutiny or bad
LOT, which is the usual way.
If, in the scrutiny, man be found to
have voted for himself, he is not ell
gible. The election would also be in
valid II the conclave were not free-if,
for example, they were terorized by a
government or by mob.
During the conclave the people out
.Mde are told day by day whether there
has been an election. As there ds no
communication with the outside world.
the telling is done by a curious little
1 -