New-York tribune., 1903-07-27
THE PAPACY NEVER DIES
Method of ELecting the Successor to
the Chair of St. Peter.

of more than ordinary interest says The Catholic
! World" for August. Popes may die, but the
! Papacy lives for ever. With temporal princes
| their succession may come to an end
| Reigning families may become exhausted;
| dynastes have come and gone; but by
divine right the line of the Popes will last till the
end of the world The methods Of electing the
successor of ST. Peter have changed in the nineteen
centuries that the Popes have reigned, but soon
is economically elected he assumes unto
himself all the prerogatives of the Papal chair
4 here is prince in all Christendom whose power
is greater The influence of the Vicar of Christ is
not confined to any people. 1t is not
cised by force of arms, is it maintained
through the civil power. His jurisdiction is
the hearts OF 269. 0C0 and his word is obeyed
with far more alacrity and submission than
corded to any other ruler in the world He is the
successor Of the Prince of the Apostles He holds
to all the faithful the place Of the Vicar of Christ
and they acknowledge his infallibility In matters
of faith and morals. These facts alone give to
the election of the Pope Importance that is
not attributable to any other event in history.
In the first place. it is condemned proposition
to maintain that the laity have any strict FiCht
Of suffrage in the election Of the Pope In ancient
times the vote of the Roman clergy cast in the
presence of the faithful, the elective power;
but as the PapaI dignity increased in wealth and
spendor of temporal authority it often became
| object of human ambition. For this reason it was
! deemed necessary to enact laws that definitely
settled the mode of election. This done by
| Symmachus in the year 499.
The history Of the interference of civil princes
| in the election of the Popes fills many a dark
chapter in the Papal records II is the old story
Of the state, with its stronger power. laying its
| blighting hand the liberties of the church. 1t
was not till 1855 under Nicholas H. that the
Papacy completely emancipated from any
subsection TO the empire. and his successor
Gregory VII the glorious Hildebrand. the last
| Pope who informed the Emperor of his cleo
tion before proceeding to be cOnsecrated and en-
| throned The Third General Council OF the Lateran
u17s) confined the right elect to the cardinals
without reference to the rest of the Roman clergy
or of the people. and required two-thirds vote
| for valid election
The word conclave is of little later origin. 1t
originated in the custom of selecting hall whose
| door could be securely fastened (cum clavi-with
a key behind the voting cardinals until they
agreed by two-thrds majority a candidate.
In some instances, where the stubborn electors
held out, diminishing quantity of food was served
so to hasten agreement. and in one instance,
where year and one-half elapsed before definite
result obtained, the roof was removed and the
venerable fathers left to the inclemeneies of
the weather until they came to conclusion.
Any may theoretically be elected Pope. He
need not be a cardinal, a priest. He need
not be Italian. Not q few persons of ignoble
birth and of antecedents have been elected
TO the Papacy, which they have illustrated by their
virtues their learning. SiXtus V 95 was
q swineherd in his youth, and he repeatedly af-
hrmed the fact when he Pope. It SiXtus
V of whom Queen Elizabeth of England said, when
asked to marry. that she would offer her hand in
marriage to no one but Sixtus and he would not
accept it. The present Cardinal Gotti's father was
a stevedore. Almost every nationality has had
representative in the chair Of Peter. but for
era the Italians have kept the accession
within their nation. for the reason that the
popedom has been civil principality
AS soon the Pope breathes his last the
dnaI chamberlain takes possession of the Apostolic
palace. He proceeds to the death chamber
himself OF. and instructs notary to certify
faoT that he Dana iS call dead
the Ring Of the Fisherman is broken and the seal
destroyed. The body is embamed and carried i'll
procession TO the Chapel Of the Blessed Sacrament
in the Vatican baslca. where it remains for three
days, the feet protruding little through open
ing in the iron railing which incloses the chapel.
that the faithful approach and kiss the EN-
brodered slipper. The nine days CT funeral services
gone through with. During the last three days
the services are performed about elevated and
agnifcent catafalque. On each of these days five
cardinals in turn give the absolution, and the
ninth day a funeral grafton is pronounced. The
body is reverently put into cyprus wood coffin.
This is put into a leaden case properly inscribed,
and then 81 is placed in wooden box covered
with red pail and in this condition it is carried
to the last resting place previously selected by the
deceased
On the tenth day the cardinals assemble in the
forenoon and the preparations are made for the
concave. All the persons who are to remain in
the oonclave-as prelates custodians, attendants
on the cardinals physicians, BARRIERS, masons-are
even among themselves of matters concerning the
election. Every avenue leading to the eoncIave
except the eight loopholes, is walled UP by the
masons; but door is left that it may be
opened by the late coming cardinals to let cut
any who may be expelled. who for any
good reason may be obliged to go out. Any one
who leaves cannot return. This only door has a
combination lock, to be opened by the key of the
prince marshal outside and Of the cardinal cham
berlain inside.
The food for the cardinals is introduced By a
turn so we'll known in converts of clustered
communities.
The next day. after mass of the Holy Ghost, the
ballotng begins and continues until some one re-
ceives the necessary two-thirds. The ballots are
cast into a chalce the altar.
There are now sixty-three cardinals in the Sacred
College Some may, account Of distance-as
Cardinal Moran, Of Australa--or on account Of
age or infrmties be prevented from being pres
ent If they were all present it would require
forty-tWo votes TO elect. 1t would from the
present aspect OF the Sacred College that good
many ballots may be taken before the requisite
number is secured.
enlnenty leader that 1t took but ballot prac-
Ucaly 10 settle the question of his election In all
choice in the present conclave. 1t is ordinarily
very foolish TO prophesy. but IT is especially SO
outcome of the conclave There is an old Roman
proverb which says He who enters the eonclave as
always happen that the verdict OF the cardinals
ratines that of public opinion of the public
are wei! known to the world at large, generally
the leaders Of parties, and are for that very
son the less likely TO draw unto themselves
suffrages Of two-thirds Of the Sacred College They
are the ones who have positive characteristics and
practically stand for definite policies and for that
reason they have awakened opposition to them
selves Moreover. leaders not always necessary
iant mind has Illuminated so manv % 3 nE5Ii
hand has