Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-07-09
COLLEGE OF
CARDINALS
1t Consists of Seventy
Members at the
Present Day.
AN ANCIENT BODY
Full Description of the Cere.
monies and the Routine
That Is Observed.
AN ANCIENT BODY

The College of Cardinals, whic
elects a pope. dates its origin back t.
/. the earliest days OF the church. Sine
b 1872 the cardinals alone have had tn
t choice of pope and this body ha
r therefore enjoyed this sole prerogativ
o for over 600 years.
e As constituted, the college is compos
6 ed Of cardinal bishops, cardinal priest.
:, and cardinal deacons. The cardina
: bishops are the bishops OF Ostia, Por.
to, Albano, Tusculum, Sabina and Pal.
estrina, the former states of the
! church. In the 18th century the num-
Der of cardinals was 20, but it has
since been increased until now, when
full. the college has 70 members. 1t is,
however, never full, there being always
hats held in reserve at the disposal of
the pope, to be conferred when deemed
advisable. At present the college, as
to nationality, stands as follows: Ital-
ian 20; French q; Spanish Z: Austrian
S; Bohemian 2; Portuguese q; German
q; Belgian 1; Polish 1: Irish 2; Hun
garian 4; English 1; Canadian /, and
American. The preponderance of the
Italian element Is thus seen to be very
decided, and although the Italians
have not the requisite two-thirds to
elect pope, they have enough to pre-
| vent combination of the foreign ele-
ment against them, and can If they
choose, control the election. 1t has
been so for over 800 years, Adrian W.,
in 1922, being the last pontiff of for
eign birth.
The formalities attending the elec-
tion are numerous and must be COM
piled with to the letter. When the
reigning pope is believed to be in a
dying condition, witnesses are assem- |
bled to be present at his death, several
cardinals being among the number,
and as soon, as the melancholy event |
occurs the papal chamberlain takes
charge Of the vatican, makes an inven-
tory Of the property in the pope's pri-
vate apartments, views the body,
writes certificate of death, which he
summons the witnesses to sign, orders
the papal chapel and st. Peters to be
draped and the bells to be tolled.
The funeral Of pope usually lasts
nine days. the body, after being en-
balmed and robed in pontif1cal vest
ments, lying in state three days in the
private chapel of the pope. three days
in the sistine and three in the cathed-
raj Of st. Peter. BY one Of the pillars
in the grand cathedral there Is stone
support on which rests a marble sarco-
phagus It is elevated 20 to 30 feet
above the heads of the people, and Is
in plain view of all passers-by. 1t is
an object Of interest to every visitor
from the fact that 1t Is the temporary
resting place Of every pope. When
pope dies the coffin of his predecessor
Is removed from this sarcophagus to a
tomb in the crypt Of the cathedral. This
now contains the body {
and coffin of Plus TX, and when Leo |
XIII. dies the body Of his predecessor |
will make way for his own.
AFTER THE FUNERAL.
After the funeral the cardinals gath I
er in the vatican, masses are said, a {
sermon relating to their duties is deliv- /
cred by one of their own number or by +
some distinguished prelate chosen for |
the occasion, and the cardinals retire G
TO private wing of the vatican to hold G
he election. Ia
After all who should be there have q
entered the apartment, every entrance Z
out one is walled up, bricklayers with I
material and tools being in readiness.
)ne door. however. small private en- b
rance, ii not included, for It has hap d
,ened that a cardinal died during
and some means Of access a
O the apartments is deemed desirable. h
n view Of an extraordinary contin. G
yency. The little door is locked with :
n and without, and an attendant q
waits on each side. no one being al =
owed to pass in or out except by spe- .
lal permission from both the cardinals 4
md the papal chamberlain. =
Formerly all the cardinals lived and
lept in a common dormitory, but now !,
private cell is set apart for each. 7
The cells are draped. those for the !,
ardinals created by the last pope In
ed, all others in green.
LIFE IN THE CELLS. !,
The routine Of cardinhlite life .
trough the term Of Incarceration va ;, :
les little from day to day. At 8 in the !,
an Official wakes the cardi- J,
ais, who assemble at once before the !
altar provided and hear =
lass, after which a ballot Is taken and = :,
there is no result they retire for :
reakfast. In discussion. possibly a,
exercise and other ways. :,
hey pass the time until . O'Clock In =.
he afternoon, when another ballot ID q
aken, and II without result they dine !,
nd pass the afternoon as best they ),
an. all retiring at dark to await the
ext days events. II
The system Of balloting which has
cen in vogue In the conclave for sew y
raj hundreds Of years. Ii q curios pre- =
lonition Of the Australian system. - =,
heets OF paper are carefully folded % n
sat when opened by the teliers the