The Mena weekly star., 1922-02-09

GdSpdTIly WHO S6INeu dS pdpdl
 secretary of state under the late
 Pope Benedict XIV had been re-
 tained in the same office by Pope
 Plus XI, it was announced.
 Rome, Feb. 6.-Cardinal Achille Ratti, archbishop of Milan, was elect ed pope in succession to the late Bene- dict XV this morning. He has taken the name of Plus XI.
 The thousands waiting in front of St. Peters for the wisp of smoke which would tell of the election of a new pope, or the failure of the Sacred college to reach a decision, gave a mighty shout at 11:31 o'clock when a thin wisp of smoke came from the chimney leading from the Sistine chapel. It was then known that the Catholic church had once more duly elected pontiff.
 .sIt Is the Will of God"
 As soon as the two thirds vote for Cardinal Ratti had been verified, Car dinal Vannutelli, as dean of the Sa- cred college, arose and proceeded to lDt ktliOilE VI AAAC NlAOotA OACt aNNQln- panied on either side by Cardinals Logue and Bisleti, respectively deans of the Cardinal priests and the Cardin- al deacons. He was asked in Latin by Cardinal Vannutelli, in accordance with custom, if he accepted the cleo tion to be supreme pontiff, and the new pope answered with the formal, "Since it it the will of God, l must obey
 The purple canopies over the thrones of the cardinals were let down, one by one, until only that over the new pontiff remained. This was done to show the whole Sacred col lege rendered obeisance to the new head of the church. Dean Vannutelli thereupon asked the new incumbent what name he chose to take during his pontificate, and upon his reply, "Pius XI," Monsignor Sincere, secre- tary of the conclave, verified his cleo tion to the papal chair.
 Receives Fisherman's Ring.
 The new pope was then escorted to the anteroom within the Sistine chap el, where he discarded his cardinals robes, assisted by the conclavists, and the papal vestments, which had been held in readiness since the opening of the conclave, were placed upon him. These included the white cassock, white sash, white stockings, red slip pers, a red and gold moZ2etta, and fi- nally the stole of red, worked with gold.
 The pontiff, duly vested in the panal garb and accompanied by his cardin- als, thereupon returned to the throne he had occupied in the Sistine chapel
 There the cardinals, according to their rank and headed by Vannutelli, made their first act of adoration to His Holiness, kissing first his feet and then his hands, after which the pope received them in embrace and be- slowed upon them his first apostolic blessing.
 The Fisherman's ring was placed on his finger and he left the chapel, the whole assembly vending it's way thru the Sala Ducale and the Sala Regia, along the loggias to the Sala Clemen- tina, the pope's official residence. All along the way he received the homage of the attaches, who served during the conclave.
 Bestows Public Benediction.
 Meanwhile the dean of the cardinal deacons, Bistleti, followed by several cardinals, repaired to the central bal. cony of St. Peters, from which the elections of scores of popes have been officially proclaimed to the world, and solemnly announced to the great crowd awaiting expectantly below.
 q announce to your great joy the election of the pontiff.
 This confirmed to the throngs in St. Peters square the election which had been indicated by the thin stream of white smoke which came from the metal stove pipe projecting from the roof of the Sistine chapel when the voting papers of the final ballot were burned
 Meanwhile, Pope Plus XI, after waiting for some moments in the Clementine hall, had left for St. Peters, accompanied by members of the Sacred college. Arriving at the balcony at the entrance inside the cathedral, he raised his hand and be- slowed upon the multitude his first public benediction. He then returned to the vatican, where, altho reigning. the popes have remained virtual prisoners until their deaths