The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-05
FEATURES OF TIE CoNsIsTORY
COURTESY, HUMILITY. LEARNING
AND FAIRNESS DISPLAYED
Cardinal SartO's Efforts to Put Away
the Yoke of the Papal Throne
Character of New Pope.

So dense was the throng which filled every
inch of the cathedral that the procession of
clergy, semnarians and acolytes follow
ing the mass was delayed until hundreds
of persons cleared the aisles of the church.
In addition TO being the first sermon de-
ivered at the cathedral by Cardinal Glib
nounced that he would speak of the
clave which elevated the new Pontiff and
speak of the general conditions at the Vat
lean. AT the conclusion of pontifical mass
the Pope's prayer was chanted by the
choir of st. Mary's seminary of thirty
voices. His Eminence spoke in part as
follows:
You naturally expect me to make some
observations in reference to the recent
conclave and to the new Fontiff who has
been happily chosen to preside over the
Church OF God.
Seventy members constitute the Sacred
College, when the body is complete. But
the college rarely attalns that number,
between one consistory and another several
deaths are apt to intervene among a body
OF men usually advanced in years. AT the
time of the conclave the cardinals amount
ed TO sixty-four members, of whom sixty
two took part in the election of the Sow
eregn Pontiff.
THE conclave which has just taken
place marks a new and important era in
tne annals OF the American CdtnOlfc Cnurcn.
This is the first time i'm the history of the
Christian religion that the United States,
or any part of this western hemisphere,
was ever associated with the other nations
of Christendom IN selecting a successor 10
the chair of Peter 1 would not at all be
surprised IL in the next conclave the Cath
olic Church of the United States will be
represented by several members of the
Sacred College, so that the number of car
dinalS from our country may be commen-
surate with the population, the grandeur
Iii ia,
tion, and may be in keeping also with the
numerical strength of our hierarchy and
iaity and the splendor and progress Of our
religious am charitable institutions.
"At the time OF the conclave, and for
weeks preceding Il, Rome was full of news
paper reporters gathered from various parts
of the civilized world. They were there to
furnish the earliest news TO the journals
which they represented. The great major
ity of these jourr alsts were men of truth
and honor. But a few of them who could
not obtain trustworthy facts, or because
they regarded facts as less savory than
fiction. yielded TO the temptation of making
statements which were the offspring of
their fancy
NOT ANGELS, BUT MEN.
"In the judgments of mankind the
cardinals of the church are acknowledged
to be generally men of a high order of in
telligence, of great discretion, of large ex-
perience. and of integrity of character. In
Il
passed, if they are equaled. by any deliber-
ative body in the whole world The
cardinals, however are not angels, but
men, subject to the usual infrmities and
ambitions of flesh and blood And because
they are not exempt from the fraities in
cident to mankind, and because of the peer
less dignity of the supreme pontifcate, as
well as OF the tremendous responsibility
1t involves, every precaution that human
ingenuity and experience could suggest has
been availed of in this, as in preceding
conclaves, so that no cloud should rest
over the election of the successful candi-
date. Such were the circumstances which
marked the election of our new chief past Or
who has assumed the title of Plus X
Il was present at the conclave and took
part in its proceedings, and without re-
vealing it's secrets L can most positively
assure you and the American people that
the election of the Pope was conducted
with absolute freedom. with the utmost
fairness and impartiality. and with dig
nifty and solemnity becoming the august
assemblage of the Sacred College, and the
momentouS consequences of their SURFACES
have witnessed debates in the British
Parliament in the French Chambers, and
in both houses of Congress, and L must
candidly say that In sobriety of language,
and In courteous department of members
toward one another the college of cardinals
surpassed them ALL And this is the most
noteworthy when we consider that some
twelve different nationalities. swayed by as
sented in the assembly. On leaving the
Sistine Chapel at the conclusion of the
conclave, and contemplating the overruing
action of the Holy Ghost on these
heterogeneous elements. / exclaimed: The
finger of God is here,'
Two ballots were cast each day in the
conclave. one in the forenoon and another
in the afternoon. The votes for Cardinal
Sarto steadily increased from the first to
the seventh ballot, on which he was elected.
When the cardinal observed that the suf-
fro for aim rraer H..
vsibly disturbed, and in a fervent speech
he implored his colleagues not to regard
him as a candidate. Contrary to his wishes
the votes for him increased. He then be-
came alarmed, and in second speech. i'm
most pathetic language he again besought
the cardinals to forget his name, as he
could not accept burden too heavy for
him to bear. All were moved by the mod
esty and transparent sincerity of the man.
When he resumed his seat his cheeks were
suffused with bushes. tears We're gush-
with emotion. 1t was only after some of
the leading cardinals entreated him to
withdraw his opposition that he finally
| and reluctantly consented to abide by the
| will of God and accept the sacrifice Never
| did prisoner make greater efforts TO es-
| cape from his confinement than did Cardi-
| nal Sarto TO escape from the yoke of pa
pacy. With his divine Master he ex-
| claimed Father, If ii be possible let this
| chalice pass from me. Nevertheless. not
my will. but Thine be done" When his
| election was officially announced his florio
| countenance assumed a deathly pallor and
restoratives were applied to save him from
| fainting. So little did Cardinal Sarto ex.
| pect TO be the choice of his colleagues that
] on setting out for Rome he purchased q
| return ticket to his home in Venice
PERSONALITY OF Plus "
"Pius Y is in his sixty-ninth year. He is
| of the same age that Leo XIII had at.
| tanned when he ascended the Papal chair
! He has had a large and varied experience in
| the sacred ministry. He consecutively
| filed the offices of assistant priest of pas
| tor, of chancellor and vicar general. He
was elec1ed afterward to the See of Man.
tua, the home of the illustrious Virgil He
was subsequently promoted to the Patri
| archial See of Venice.
1.-The virtues OF humility. sincerity. can.
| dor and benevolence are stamped on hi.
| features / can characterize him i'm on,
| sentence by saying that he is a man ot
| God and a man of the people His name /.
| idolized i'm Venice and along the Adria ri,
| on account of his charities towards IN,
poor.
| I'VE need not be surprised at the emotior
| of the Pope when his election was am
| ncpnced. for he was called 10 the mos
| sublime position TO which any man on eartl
1 can aspire. The papacy is the most ancien,
| of all existing dynasties. Ii had nourishef
for centuries when the oldest empire now
.lxl raI..