The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-24
HOW The next Pope
WILL Be SELECTED
Conclave of Cardinals Is One OF
the Most Solemn OF
Ceremonies.
MUCH SECRECY ATTENDS
On the Tenth Day Following the Death
of the Pope the Conclave Opens
and Continues Till a Sc
lection Is Made.

The death of a pope brings one of thu
most solemn acts in the Roman church
the election of his successor by the con
g%regation of cardinals. Nothing Is O.
greater moment to every Catholic, and !
is hedged in with the most severe re-
Strictions.
Immediately on the death of a pope the
college succeeds as a body to the govern
ment of the church. All the existing OF
ticers are suspended until the college takes
such preliminary action towara regularly
ing them temporarily or appointing thell
successors, who hold office, however, only
until the new pope has been enthroned'
when he may make changes. To this rule,
however, there are three exceptions among
the higher dignitaries-a very necessary
thing to preserve continuity OF govern
ment and prevent confusion. These eX-
ceptions comprise the grand chamberlain
OF the church or camerlengo cardinal
Oreglia), the grand penitentiary cardinal
Serafino NanutellD and the vicar general
Cardinal Resphigi), who continue to eX-
ercise their Offices with certain additions
as a privilege granted them by Plus ".
h chamberlain becomes the executive
temporarily, a quasi sovereign, and Is
permitted to assemble a special guard, the
heraldic sign Of the vacancy of the see, a
pavilion over crossed keys, and In the days
OF the temporal power in Rome was al
lowed to coin money bearing his family
arms at the papal mint With him are
associated three cardinals, each serving
for three days during the nine-day period
Of the obsequies; and custom compels their
selection one from each of the orders rep
resented in the sacred college. The sec
Rotary of the college acts as prime minis
ter, and thus is a temporary and COM
petent government for the church brought
into hnyfr n + tIn rn,,r'r. 1no h ,,to Iir
successor is seated on the throne. Should
the grand chamberlain or grand psniten-
tlary die during the period of the con-
claVe or obsequies, the cardinals are COM
PEELED to elect a successor within three
days; but should the vicar general die, his
successor is the vicegerent, who is always
a bishop and succeeds eX-ofticio. Only
business of emergency character may be
transacted between the death of one pope
and the election of another.
Every morning the sacred college meets
in st. Peters to transact business and the
details for the conclave are arranged. The
bulls and ordinances relating to the papal
elections are read by the dean, the fisher
mans ring and the large metal seal used
by the late pope are broken with an APP
propriate ritual by the first master of
ceremonies and two orators are chosen
one for the funeral GRAFTON, the other for
the conclave. On the morning of the
tenth day the election begins with q re-
llgious service. The cardinals assemble
in the morning in the choir chapel of St.
Peters,, where a votlve mass of the holy
ghost is celebrated by the dean of the col
lcge, at present Cardinal Oreglia. after
which the chosen orator Of the conclaVe, in
full vestments, is introduced, and after
proper reVerences to the memory of the
late pope and to the distinguished body
he has been invited to address, ascends
a decorated pulpit. delivers the last word
of advice before retiring to the conclaye
on the subject Of choosing an excellent
pope, closing with the expression, The
pope is dead; long live the pope; the pa
paoy never dies"
Following the sermon, the "Veni Crea-
tor is sung and the cardinals in process
sion ascend to the Pauline chapel where
the dean delivers an address, explaining
again the methods and counseling them to
lay aside all human motives and fulfill
their duties as electors without fear or
favor. All persons then who are per-
mitted to come in contact with any one
at the conclave, as prelates, custodians,
attendants, physicians, BARRIERS and sery-
ants, pass before the dean, who admins
tiers an oath that they will not speak on
matters pertaining to the election. The
college then proceeds to the place ap-
pointed for the conclave, accompanied by
a body of masons, who seal UP all en-
frances save eight windows, or, rather,
loopholes, and one door, Which is left to
admit any late-coming cardinal or let ont
any one who may be expelled or com
PEELED to retire. This door is fitted with
two locks, outside and inside. On the
following day the dean says a votive mass
&c Splrito Sancto, at which all the car
dlnals In stoles receive holy communion
and the election then proceeds
Inc manner Of electing the pope has suf-
tered many changes during nineteen CEN
turtles. Long before Gregory x. the car
dlnals would assemble in any suitahla
building, often In the s~acristy of a cathe-
oral, and there was little restriction as
they would generally return to their own
abodes each evening. but the gloss Nulla-
fenus OF Alexander III. provided thar If
t"o-tnlrds OF the cardinals present--the
majority required-did not agree thev
should be closely confined. II was NOT ~
I'll after l274 that the mode Of procedure
was settled. On the death of Clement "
at Vlterbo In 1858, the sacred college met
put for a year and a half were una hla to
agree, and toward the last would NOT
meet. BY some a~rtiice, however. thew
were all got together one day in the EMS.
copal, which was immediately surro,,ndaa
with guards, and the ultimatum deIi1,aroa
mat there they would remain until tbe1,
agreed. Even this Imprisonment did MOI
orlng results and the captain of the town
Raneiro Gatti, had the roof of the house.
removed and the structure otherwise 49,
tllated, so that discomforts would he vic
lted upon the prelates, and had the do
sired effect, the election of Gregory Y
Ihls was not the first time violent meas.
ures had been taken to bring about On
election, and Gregory, Immediately on bis
election, called a general council at LYONS
II liza TO establish a better principle for
the election of a pope. The code draw W.
at this council practically governs todsv
Inc code provides that for nine davs TO
cardinals shall celebrate the obseoliies os
the dead pope and on the tenth day shall
enter INTO conclave. Whether all tho cor
olnals have arrived or not the conclave
must be called on that day. The cor
clave must be held in whatever place vas
last inhabited by the pope and the cardi-
nals must live together in one hall or
room, not divided by curtains or narti-
lions. and carefully cut off from the outer
word. one room only is allowed the car
olnals for private purposes, but no ac-
cess is permitted to any cardinal, nor anv
private conversation with nor visits to
nor letters nor messages of any kind to
"a m m IN