The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-01-10
THE FAMOUS "vETo,"

The most famous incident in the life
of the great Cardinal Rampolla, whose
death is recorded in another page, was
the Veto" interjected by Austria
which excluded the then Secretary OF
State from election to the Papacy
and most famous Of all was Carolina
Rampolla's response to that veto.
Cardinal Rampolla, at the Conclave
for the election of successor tc
Pope Leo, was the predominant figure
until Austria exercising an old prerog.
alive, claimed the right to enter an
objection to the election of a given
candidate for the Papacy. Cardinal
Rampolla led on the first four scrut-
inies.
All kinds Of political reasons have
been alleged for the action of Austria
in introducing the ''veto"-the sup.
posed policy of Leo XIII and his Sec
rotary Of State in supporting the
Franco-Russian alliance against the
Triple Alliance of Germany. Austro-
Hungary and Italy, the hostility of the
Slavs of the Austrian empire to Car.
dinal Rampolla for his alleged Russo
phil sympathies, the influence brought
to bear upon the Austrian emperor
by the Italian prime minister, lamar
deli, who pointed out that Cardinal
Rampolla would be persona ingrata to
Italy, and so on. Whatever the real
reason may have been, the emperor
decided to intrude his bogus "privi-
lege" into the Papal election, and
charged Cardinal Puzyna to put it into
effect.
The Cardinal must have hoped earn
estly that there would be no occasion
and had he but known the real state
of things he need never have troubled
himself about it, for the Holy Ghost
had other designs for the Church than
the election of even such great and
holy Bishop as Cardinal Rampolla.
But the bearer Of the veto grew
alarmed when he saw that the votes
for Leo Kills Secretary of State be-
ginning at twenty-one, went to twen-
ty-four, and then rose to twenty-nine.
After this last vote he went to Car
dinal Rampolla in his cell, and
humbly confided the secret of his mis-
sion, ut the same time asking for ad-
vice as to whether he was really justi-
fled in presenting the veto before the
fathers of the Conclave. II refer you
to the tribunal Of your conscience"
Cardinal.
That afternoon when the Fathers Of
the Conclave met again in the Sis
tine Chapel, each of them under his
own baldacchino, Cardinal Puzyna
rose suddenly in his place. He was
nervous and excited and twitched a
little slip of paper between his fingers.
Then he turned towards Cardinal
Oreglia and began to read hurriedly
in Latin from the slip of paper: Il
have the honor, entrusted as / am in
this office by most lofty command,
most humbly to ask Your Eminence,
as Dean of the Sacred College of the
Most Eminent Cardinals of Holy
Church and Chamberlain of Holy
Roman Church, to take cognizance
and to notify and declare officiously
that in the name and by the authority
of His Apostolic Majesty Francis 10.
seph, Emperor of Austria and King
of Hungary, using his ancient right
and privilege, introduce the veto OF
exclusion against my Most Eminent
Lord Cardinal Mariana Rampolla del
TindarO." There was general muir.
muir of disapproval. drowned immedi.
ately by the voice of the Cardinal
Dean proclaiming that the communi.
cation could not be received either
officially or officiously by the Con-
clave and that no notice whatever
would be taken Of 1t. Then after Car
dinal Matthew had voiced his own in
dignant protest Cardinal Rampolla
rose slowly and in solemn tones said:
II am greatly afflicted by the grievous
wound inflicted on the liberty of the
Church. AS for myself, nothing more
welcome or pleasing could have hap.
nonod addin0 thof ho fo1f no uoe