The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-14

pointed? 2. Why are nearly all the
Popes Italians? 8. Suppose per-
son commits a mortal sin, but at the
time it was committed he did not
know it was a mortal sin and, there
fore, did not confess it, and later on
in life, he learns that what he con-
sidered no sin was really mortal sin,
were all his confessions bad since the
sin was committed or, if not, must
he mention it in confession? 4. Must
a person in general confession men,
ton the number of times a sin was
committed? 5. Suppose a person
who was about to 90 to confession
should hear piece of good news. He
would then be in happy mood and
find it difficult to become sorroWfuI
even though he tried. Would such a
confession be unworthy? 6. Is it a NOR
tai sin to dance in Lent? z. Is a
woman who cares for her family Of
small children and does all her house
work but the washing, obliged to fast
and abstain during Lent?
1. In brief outline the method of
electing a Pope is as follows: AS
soon as the reigning Pope dies, the
Cardinal Camerlengo, as representa-
tive of the Sacred College, assumes
charge of the Papal household and
verifies the death of the Pope and
notifies the Cardinals of the coming
election. The obsequies of the de-
ceased Pope last nine days. On the
evening of the tenth day after the
Pope's death, the Cardinals in Rome
and those who have come from other
parts of the world, enter the Conclave,
a section of the Vatican Palace which
is walled off and divided into apart
ments for the Cardinals, and cut off
from all communication with the out
side world except through one door
only which is locked. The Cardinals
are not allowed to leave these apart
ments until the election is over. Pro-
vision is made for feeding and hous-
is allowed secretary and servant.
On the day following Cheir entrance
into the Conclave they assist at Mass
celebrated by the Cardinal Dean and
receive Holy Communion. After Mass
they assemble in the Sistine Chapel
where the actual voting takes place.
Each Cardinal writes on slip of
paper the name Of the person whom
he deems best fitted to be Pope
These are then taken in hand by tell
ers who announce the results. If a
Cardinal receives two-thirds of the
votes cast, exclusive of his own, he is
declared Pope. If no one receives the
necessary two-thirds vote the ballots
are burned and the escaping smoke
tells the watchers outside that no
election has yet been made. The Car
dinals vote twice a day until some
one receives the required number of
votes. AS soon as a new Pope is
elected his brother Cardinals render
homage to him and an announcement
is then made to the assembled people
and the name which the new Pope
has chosen is made known to them.
2. The seat of government of the
Church is in Rome. The various
Congregations have their headquarters
there. Many ecclesiastics are en-
ployed in the administrative Offices
What more natural then that the ma
jority of them should be Italians or
that the majority of the Cardinals who
are at the heads of these Congrega-
tons should be Italians? They know
the situation in Italy and hence are
better prepared to grapple with the
questions that confront the Church in
that country. What more natural
than that Italians should be selected
for Popes? We know that not all the
Popes have been Italians. Many ma
tions have had their representatives
in the Papal chair, but it is quite
natural that the majority of the Popes
should be Italians who, by reason of
their training and familiarity with the
conditions that surround the Papacy
in Italy, are chosen to rule the Church
Even our human judgment sees the
wisdom displayed in providing head
of the church who, by race, national
ity and previous experience is best
fitted to make things run smoothly in
the extensive and complicated govern
ment of so many hundreds of millions
of Catholic subjects. g. The little
Catechism tells us that three things
are necessary to make a sin mortal:
grievous matter, sufficient reflection,
and full consent of the will. If any of
these be wanting, the sin is not NOR
tai. Therefore, no one can commit a
mortal sin without knowing it. A per-
son is guilty before God precisely in
the degree in which he saw and real
lied that he should be guilty if he
performed the act which he contem-
plated. If he did not realize when
committing certain act that it was
a mortal sin then he is not morally
guilty. Even if he afterwards adverts
to the fact that what he did was sinful
that does not render him guilty. That
after judgment does not act backward
and make him guilty of mortal sin
before God 1t follows, then, that he
is not required to confess this act
which was, as far as he is concerned,
not seriously sinful and any confes-
sions he may have made in the mean
time would not be unworthy on that
score alone. 4. If a general confess
sion was necessary because previous
confessions we're bad, owing to the
fact that mortal sin was concealed
or contrition defective, then the peni-
tent must enumerate as exactly as
possible all the mortal sins COM
mitted since his last worthy confes-