The Washington herald., 1922-01-24
Election of Belgian Far
From Probable, How
ever, Is Admission.
CARDINALS TO OPEN
CONCLAVE FEB. 2
American and Canadian
Prelates Expected to
Be Late.

ROME, Jan. 23-Official orders for
the summoning of the Sacred Col
lego conclave. at which a successor
to Pope Benedict XIV will be chosen.
place the date for the beginning OF
the impressive secret ceremony on
February .. 1t is DOUBTFUL that the
two American cardinals or the Ca
madam prelate will be able to reach
Rome in time to cast their votes.
Deputy Di Fausto. of the Popu-
lar Party, declared in an interview
that France would support the can
didacy OF Cardinal Mercier. of Bel
gium, thus breaking up the custom
of choosing an italian Pope. His
election, II was admitted, was far
from probable.
With the beginning of the Novem
Diales, or period of nine days de-
voted to funeral services for the
late Pontiff, workmen are start
ing their task of walling up the
apartments, behind which the car
dinals will meet and from which
they must not depart until a choice
of a new Pope has been made.
Body at st. Peters.
Fifty-fve prince of the church
probably will be present at the be-
ginning of the conclave, and a two
thirds majority is necessary Tor
election. Indications continue to
favor Cardinal Mani as the most
probable choice for the throne of st.
Peter. although Cardinal Gasparri
and Cardinal Merry Del Val also
are receiving much consideration,
That the new Pope will be an Ital-
ian is considered a foregone conclu-
sion, since of the entire member
ship Of the Sacred College thirty
one are Italians.
Meanwhile the body of Benedict
XIV, removed from the throne room
i'm the Vatican where 1T lay in
state yesterday and viewed by high
church officials and other digni.
taries. was borne to the Sacrament
chapel at St. Peters at O'Clock
Monday morning with the usual GER.
emony prescribed on such occasions
Nephew Sole Heir.
The restriction imposed by the
late Pope, however, that his body
should not be embalmed. necessi-
tated several changes in the usu&,
formula, and shortened the period
usually devoted to viewing the bod Y
by devout Yorshipers. Much of tao
ceremony. too. was hastily changed
to meet the circumstances.
Renedicts nephew, the Marquis
Giuseppe Della Chiesa. is made
practically sole heir to the per-
sonal property left by the Pope, by
| the pontiff's will. other property
is held only temporarily by the
rontiff, as custodian for the church,
and returns to the church upon his
death.
For the first time in the history
of new Italy. the official Gazette
organ of the government, carried
Monday evening an announcemen nj
of the death Of the Pope incloscd
in black border.
Two Other Names Mentioned.
Again the action is considered
significant. and-coupled with the
visits of ministers to the Vatican
and the governments orders for a
two day period of mourning 9
throughout Italy-gives rise to the
belief that the rapprochement OF
state and church, for which Bene-
dict worked SO earnestly in life,
may be on the eve of realization.
Ecclesiastical and political cX-
perts, discussing candidates for pri-
macy. are devoting some attention
to Cardinals Lafontaine and Ratti.
Either of these two dignitaries
would be more acceptable to some
elements of the hierarchy. particu-
larly since Cardinal Merry Del Val
and some others such as Gasparri,
now cardinal chamberlain, are
strongly opposed to Maths cordi-
ality with Italian royalty.