The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-07-23

spring strains of the Veni- Creator
| Spiritus are enchanted.
Once within the conclave the mas
sive doors are shut with double locks
| and from that moment until the new
pontiH is elected no person is permit.
| ted to pass in or out. The meals for
the assemblage are prepared within
| the walls of the Vatican, and are de-
livered through a wicket gate, or rath:
er easement, let into the great door.
1t is here, also, that, on the first day
of the conclave, committee of card
inals, appointed by the whole body,
gives audience to the foreign ENJOYS.
This, however, takes place before the
conclave has actually met for the
papal election. The Sistine Chapel
is especially fitted for the holding of
this momentous council of the church.
The stalls of the cardinals, ranged on
each side, are surmounted by canopies
Of cloth in the ecclesiastical colors,
and at the far end, opposite the high
altar, are places assigned to the secre-
taries. On the altar itself, or on
table in front of it, is chalice of sill
yer, on which rests the pix containing
the host.
When mass has been said, and all
is prepared, the conclave proceeds to
its solemn task. The election of
pope is effected by three methods, by
reclamation or alteration, in which is
embodied the idea of direct divine
inspiration; by compromise. or by
vote. The late Pope Leo was. elected
on the second day of the conclave by
reclamation, The system of voting,
called the scrutinium, is regulated by
exact prescription. The proceedings
are under the direction of six cardi-
nails, two from each order Of bishops,
priests, and deacons. Every cardinal
is provided with a voting paper, on
which he writes the name of his
chosen candidate, but not his own
name. No one is permitted to vote
for himself. When the requisite in
terval has passed, each cardinal, be-
ginning with the one of the most an
cient creation, leaves his staff and adj
vances to the high altar. Amid a
solemn hush the elector prays for a
while ON the altar steps, and then,
declaring aloud that his vote is given
according to his conscience, drops his
-, he 81,
all have voted in like manner, the six
scrutineers examine the papers and
proclaim the result. If no cardinal
has obtained the required number of
votes-two- thirds Of the number of
cardinals present plus one-the result
is declared void, and the voting
papers, collected together, are burned
in brazier with damp straw, the
dense smoke from which issues through
a particular chimney, visible from
outside, and proclaims to the outer
Under these circumstances on the
afternoon of the same day a second
vote takes place, supplementary to the
first, and called the accessit vote. In
this the procedure embodies the theory
that the cardinal who has obtained
the largest number of votes in the
morning is the most acceptable to the
conclave. Consequently his name is
the only one considered for the
moment, and EACH cardinal votes for
him by writing the word accedo on
his seheda, or voting paper. or signi-
fies his dissent by the words, accedo
nemini" If this new vote leads to
no result, the papers are burned as
before and the conclave. adjourns un-
til the following morning, when the
election begins afresh and quite irre-
spective of the previous days pro-
ceedings. When, at length, the deter
mining vote is taken and the cardinal
deacon, as scrutineer, announces that
a certain candidate has been elected
pope, there is departure from the
procedure adopted hitherto. The card
inal deacon opens each folded voting
paper fully, and, reading the Latin
motto, which each cardinal has to
inscribe on it for the purpose of ulti-
mate Identification, makes known how
each member of the conclave has
voted. In old days when much de-
pended upon the favor of the pontiff,
the knowledge that the newly elected
pope would learn the names of his
opponents was frequently determin-
ing factor when the voting became
close, and induced waverers to rally
to candidate who appeared to have
good prospect of success. The elect
ton being over, summons is at once
sent to the project of ceremonies, who
speedily enters the chapel, bearing
the Fisherman's Ring An inter-
val then occurs during which the
canopies are removed from the stalls
of all the cardinals except that of the
newly elected pope, and His Holiness
retires to robe himself in the pontifi-