The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-07-23


ENTRANCE TO THE VATICAN.
morality must condemn the use Of
these mysterious agencies, whatever
truth might be in them, by unprinci-
pied, irreligious and interested per-
sons"
A pastoral letter that he wrote on the
temporal dominion of the popes, de-
Tending their right to their territories,
called special attention to him as one
of the champions Of the church:
"Let us say nothing of the august
right, consecrated by eleven centuries
of possession, of the most ancient and
such rights are not sufficient to insure
respect then there is no Kingdom, no
empire, in Europe which may not be
destroyed. 1t is false that any Catho-
lie holds the temporal dominion to be
dogma of his faith. Such an assertion
can only have come from the ignorance
or the wickedness of the enemies of the
church. But it is most true and must
be evident to any intelligent mind that
there is very close connection be-
tween this temporal power and the
spiritual primacy."
In 1861 the Italian minister of wor-
ship demanded that the clergy re-
nounce their allegiance to Plus TX,
when Cardinal Pecci wrote a joint let
ter to the pope, standing by Gim.
He protested against the confiscation
Of the mountain monasteries, which
would yield no revenue to the king and
turn into the world a parcel of helpless
ecclesiastics.
When he was made cardinal the
prince imperial of Germany was pres
ent among many distinguished stran-
gers, and when he came back to Pc
rugia all the people turned out to con-
graduate him. Especially did the Um-
brian academy receive him with a lit
erary entertainment. He gave a splen-
did feast, and the city was Illuminated.
When his silver jubilee came around
in 1871 and the pope sent his congratu-
lations the Italian military authorities
stood back, really liking the cardinal
In 1877 the pope held his fiftieth ami
versary or jubilee as a bishop.
The Italian parliament sitting in
Rome, brought in a clerical abuses bill.
but Plus TX Illuminated against it and
the government.
The pope now made Cardinal Pecci
camerlingo, or viceroy, of Rome when
the pope should be absent, and this of
course raised the highest expectations
as to his future promotion, for he had
but one step more to go.
Pope Plus TX. died Jan. Z, 1873, and
the next day King Victor Emmanuel
died in the Quirinal palace in Rome.
In some parts of the world it was adj
vocated that new pope should not be
allowed to be elected. Cardinal Pecci
altered the old habit of having the
pope's corpse lie in the Sistine chapel,
where the people would have thronged
within a limited area and perhaps call
ed for the interposition of the police
Cardinal Pecci set 500 men to work
to prepare place for the conclave to
meet and at once closed this conclave
to the outside world Ten days were
allowed to expire after the pope's
death, according to rule. On Sunday,
Feb. II, the devotions were concluded
by a pontifcal mass, and the next day
everything was ready for the conclave.
But the Quirinal palace was now in
the hands of the royalists. Sixty-one
cardinals met on Monday morning in
the Pauline chapel, only three in the
world being omitted-one French, one
Irish and one American (McCloskey),
the latter being on his way.
Papal elections in the remote past
had often been interfered with by the
house Of Bourbon and others. On this
occa sion there was no interference.
The second day the door of the con-
clave's improvised chamber was locked
on the inside and the outside and every
portion of the Enclosure examined to
see that there was no communication
with the world.
Cardinal Pecci had a kitchen within
the Enclosure and cooks and servants
ready. Each cardinal sat under can
opy, with small square table and
writing materials before him. Then
with folded paper the ballots were
dropped into consecrated chalice.