The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-29
THE NEW POPE
Selection Should Be Made with Little
difficulty


similar assemblages in the past. In
the first place, the entire absence of
strong rival factions in the Sacred
college, such as existed at the time
of the election of the late Pope, is ex-
! pected to make the selection of his
successor a matter of less difficulty.
Still more important is the change in
the method of election that was pre-
scribed by Pope Plus some six years
ago, for the express purpose of sim
plifying the election machinery and
cutting down the time usually occu-
pied by the conclave in arriving at a
| choice.
The rule for many centuries was
as follows: When, after balloting,
| the votes were counted and it was
found that no candidate had obtained
| the necessary two-thirds majority,
any Cardinals who wished to do so
were allowed to change their votes.
| Many POpes who failed to obtain the
requisite number of votes in the or
binary scrutiny have been elected in
| this manner.
Pope Plus decided to abolish this
ancient method of election. At the
| same time, however, he took meas
ures to expedite the election by intro
ducing an important change. Hither-
| to Cardinals have been allowed to
hold only two ballots a day, one in
| Al, ,,orn;,,,, of. n. ,,,ore and tho ~ IA or.
in the evening. Now the ruling pro
vides for four ballots, two in the
morning and two in the evening.
Thus the coming papal election is ex-
pected to take only half. the time oc.
cupied during the last seven centur'
les.
1t is said that one of the reasons
for this change arose out of an in
cident at the last conclave. at which
| Pope Plus was elected. After the first
| scrutiny, when Cardinal Rampolla OBJ
| tanned more votes than any two other
| candidates together, it was expected
in the conclave that an opportunity
would be given to the Cardinals who
| so desired to change their votes. In
stead Of this, however. the assembly
Immediately disbanded and voting
was put off until evening, with the re
suit that the election was protracted
three days longer.
| On the day of the conclaye all the
| Cardinals are summoned from their
| cells by bell thrice rung. and repair
| to the assembly, chamber. From this
moment until the result of the voting
is announced they have no communi-
cation save with the Vatican officials
Their clothing and even their food is
| searched, lest they should contain cor
respondence from friends outside.
If, by the greatest exercise OF len.
iency, a visitor is admitted, he must
speak to the immured Cardinal
through a grating OF iron and in a
tone loud enough to be heard by the
watchers. After a night of this Sc
clusion the conclave is formally as.
sembled early next afternoon, and all
repair to the Slstine chapel. where a
desk has been provided for each Card
inal.
Until Nicholas II, in 1867, restrict
ed the quality of the electors to che
Sacred college, Popes were elected
both by the cle'gy and the people
More than century later Pope Alex
ander Ill issued a decree making n
two-thrids vote of the Cardinals necos
sary for the election of a Pope.
One of the curious and not gener-
ally known fundamental rules of pa
pal election is that the choice of the
Sacred college is not necessarily lin.
tied TO a cleric and that any faithful
Catholic. even though he be lay
man, is eligible. 1t is true that this
rulo is more honored in the breach
than in the observance. as the last
layman was elected i'm 1924, when
Cresccntius, being raised to the ponti
ficate. was Immediately ordained and
became John XIX.
Neither does there exist any law
o. regulation to render compulsory
the choice of an Italian. But the pre-.
N'-i'a-"ttNN va iAdiidho III tue Odtftu
college makes the choice OF one of
their nationality a practical certainty.
The Italian majority is strong in mum.
Der, but il is stronger still in niu-
ence. All the affairs OF the papacy
are directed by the Italian cardinals
residing in Rome.
AS heads of congregations they
have the power exercised elsewhere
by cabinet ministers. Their views
are carried out by Italian subordin-
ates. Virtually all OF the Vatican Of
ficials, as well as the papal nunclos,
are Italians. All these people, with
their influence. which is strong. have
nothing to gain and everything to lose
from a foreign successor TO Plus Y
Following are some of the names
tina. have been mentioned, with brief
biographical data:
Cardinal Serafino Vannutelh, the
dean OF the Sacred College. was born
year earlier than the late Pope.
but at so he is still young in years in
comparison with a number of his col
leagues. In reality. however. he has
aged greatly since 1908. when he was
talked OF as a successor Of Pope Leo
XIII. Today he is almost blind. stone
deaf. and in such low state Of
health generally that he has been less
seriously discusses at the present