Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-08-27
PREPARATIONS BEING MADE
FOR ELECTION OF NEW POPE
Plus X. Changed Constitution in Regard to Selec-
ton of Pontiffs by Cardnatial Conclaves-
One of Three Methods May Be Used
Cardinals Spend Night Praying

The conclave for the election of a sue
cessor to Pope Plus y. is bound to be a
snort one, as all previous legislation con-
corning the conclave was codhed and
renewed by the late Pope in the second
year Of his pontifcate December 25, 1900
by the constitution "Vacante Sede Apos-
tolica," in which the most minute pre-
cautions are taken to secure free and
rapid election.
The Constitution on the Vacancy of
the Apostolic See and the Election of the
Roman Pontiff' is divided into two parts.
or tituli, the first subdvided into five
chapters and the second into seven, pre-
coded by a preamble in which the rea-
sons for its publication are clearly ex-
planned.
when the apostolic see is vacant"
Plus y. writes in the preamble, there
arises the most grave and sacred task
of electing the supreme pastor and head
of the flock of the Lord for the provl-
dent and sOlicitous government of the
Catholic Church, who succeeding to the
place of the blessed Peter is to take the
place of Jesus Christ on earth. The
Roman pontiffs, our predecessors, under
standing this, have in all ages devoted
watchful care and constant thought to
insure that the method and order OBJ
served In the election should be such as
to respond most fitly and suitably to the
gravity of the matter. Hence a great
many laws on the subject corresponding
with the different times and circum-
stances have been most wisely issued by
them to provide for the due, legitimate
and expeditions fulflment of the office
But it has happened that with the lapse
of time these laws drawn up and pro-
mulgated concerning the election Of the
Roman pontif have gradually grown very
numerous and varied and that some of
them have become Obsolete owing to
changes of time and customs, so that It
is now matter of no small difficulty to
discover what are the things to be OBJ
served in the election of the supreme
pastor.
I'VE therefore desiring to obviate this
inconvenience deem 1t timely to sum up |
in one constitution all that has been de-
creed by our pred Cessors concerning the |
election of the Roman pontff in their
integrity as far as possible, retaining the
regulations embodied in previous con-
situations and even the words, although |
these do not always lend themselves to
able custom, but at the same time with |
the introduction of some changes which |
we regard as suitable. Wherefore having |
long and maturely weighed the matter
with certain knowledge and of our own !
motion in the plentitude of our apostolic |
power we decree the publication Of this |
constitution. which is to have force per- I
petually for the future which the sacred
COlIpOa ~ rJi J,,r;
Of the apostolic see and in the election Of |
the Roman pontiff is to use solely. and
the same We decree to have alone the |
force of law to the abrogation of the |
constitutions and DEGREES, all and several |
Issued in this matter by the Roman pom !
tiffs, even those promulgated in the gem
eral councils and inserted In the Corpus |
Juris.'" |
The only exceptions made by Plus X
In abrogating previous legislation on the |
conclave are two and concern his con-
stitution 'commissum nobis" of January
%, 1904, abolishng the veto and the con-
stituton of Leo Kill. known as "prae-
decessores nostri," of May "a, 1882 which
authorizes occasional derogations in cir
cumstances of difficulty during the con-
clave, such for instance as the death of
INC Op' away from Rome or an at
tempt to interfere with the liberty of the
sacred college.
POWER OF THE CARDINALS.
The first part Of the constitution, wa
cante sede apostolica,'' deals with the
vacancy Of the apostolic see Chapter l.
defines the power of the sacred college
OF cardinals after the Pope's death The
college OF cardinals has no power or
jurisdiction whatever" In those things
"h1ch belonged to the Pope during his
me- hence 1t Is precluded from doing
grace or justice or putting into execu-
non what had been left undone by the
deceased Pope The cardinals cannot dis
pose OF the rights Of the apostolic see
and OF the Roman Church, which on the