Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09

The election yesterday Of Francis Xavier
Wernz as head OF the Society OF Jesus. or
Of the Jesuits. as the members are COM
monty called. was one Of the most impress
sive, as well as important, events of the
ecclesiastical world to happen for many q
year. The head OF the Jesuits Is Familiarity
known as the black pope" so close I'm
power does he come to the supreme pontif
himself
AS indicating the procedure at the cleo
ton of the general of the Jesuits when the
late Father Martin was elected general on
October 8, 1891, at Loyola, in SPAIN the fol-
lowing account of the ceremony Is publish
ed:
Father Martin. the vicar general Of the
order. was elected on the first ballot by
nearly eighty Jesuits forming the congre-
cation general. The recruitment Of these
electors was thus arranged: Each province
(the world Is divided into provinces) dele
gates its vicar, his assistants and three
fathers and there was a provincial father
and two professed chosen by election. Thus
selected, the electors started for the place
where Ignatius was born, and when they
were all arrived their credentials were ex-
amined. Then the vicar general gave an
account to the congregation of his stew
ardshtp since the death of the father gem
eral, after which a secretary was appointed.
Next the electors received communication
Of the Examination" This word merits
explanation. Before all else a commission
was named to interrogate each delegate
and seek faithfully to learn II anything had
occurred Of nature to cause apprehension
as to the future of the company This
examination lasted four days, during which
time the electors could not go out of doors.
It was exacted Of them that IL the name
was proposed Of some one Of whom they
knew very little. they must ask their col
leagues for information then and there;
but no one could give such information I'M
less verbally called upon to do SO.
On the fifth day they all fortified them
selves by assisting at mass. celebrated at
8 o'clock in the morning by Father Martin.
It was followed by communion. the holy
sacrament was exposed. and then they
marched to the library in procession, chant
ing the Litany. Each priest marched ac-
cording to his rank. for Jesuit fathers have
high opinion of the hierarchy. When they
had entered the library the doors were
closed and locked, and no one could go out
until q general was elected. First of all
they listened to discourse In Latin from
one of their number exhorting them to
choose wisely. This finished. they all knelt
down and they remained on their knees for
one hour in silent meditation. Not a sound
was heard except that Of moving lips as
they breathed their prisons. Finally the
his colleagues and announced that the bal
loting would now begin. He gave them a
few moments in which to write and sign
their ticket. and meanwhile the secretary
swore on the cruciflx to do no wrong. Then,
in the same order that they entered the
room, the Jesuits passed before table on
which stood an urn.
'yMy father" said the secretary to each,
"give your suffrage in the name OF Jesus:
and the elector, kneeling before the crucifix
made the sign Of the cross and exclaimed:
IT CHS name) take Jesus Christ as a wit
ness that choose and name as superior
general Of the order Of Jesus him whom
believe to be the most qualified to carry
this burden" Then he stood up and depos-
tied his ballot, and when the last elector
had cast his vote the secretary gave all the
ballots to the vicar general, who read aloud
each one, emitting. however, the name that
was signed to 1t. The result was proclaim
ed, the new general was consecrated by. all
those present kneeling before him in sign OF
obedience. the ballots were burned. the
doors were opened. the fathers marched to