Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-04
Cardinals Will Select
Pope Johns Successor


of the Council Of Antioch IN
341 until the 9th century syn
DDS were held to take the vote
Of clergy and faithful, which
led the way to considerable lay
meddling.
Even after the cardinals won
the right to elect the Popes
they were subject to interfer-
ence. They also found the
task difficult, because Of their
own differences. To prod
them, the Franciscan monk
Bonaventure suggested in 1858
that the cardinals be locked
up and given skinny rations Of
food and water until they made
up their minds.
In some conclaves Of the
past a rugged constitution was
a distinct asset for the car
dinals. A survivor Of q con-
clave in 124l wrote:
"They dragged us into con-
clave, grabbing us by our hands
and feet and beating US as
though we were thieves. Our
aged brother was thrown down
and dragged along by his feet
so that his back was injured
by the stones Of the street.
Finally. he had to be carried
to the conclave on a carpet"
After so days. during which
one of the 10 cardinals at the
conclaye died and two others
fell i'll, Pope Celestino ~ was
elected. He died IL days later.
Cardinals Locked In
A wing of the Vatican Palace
will be given over to the COM
ing conclave. With about 200
aides. the cardinals will remain
under lock and key virtual
prisoners until they have
chosen Pope Johns successor.
Each cardinal will have a small
apartment Of three rooms in
which he will live with his con-
clave secretary and personal
servant. The apartments will
be outfitted with beds, tables
and chairs-little more.
The voting will take place in
the Sistine Chapel beneath the
famous fresco Of the Last Judg-
ment by Michelangelo. The
cardinals win sit on little
thrones. under silken canopies,
along the walls Of the chapel.
In front Of each will be a desk
with silver ink wells and quill
pens.
If the procedure remains un-
changed from the conclave that
elected Pope John, the cardinals
will cast ballots twice each
morning and twice each after
noon until q candidate achieves
the required majority.
Penalty for Intruders
Anyone who violates the con-
clave's secrecy may be excom-
municated-the severest sane
ton Of the church.
Until the new Pope is an
nounced. the only clue to the
progress Of the voting viii be
wisps Of smoke from q thin,
round chimney thrust through
q window Of the sistine Chapel.
According TO q tradition
which has become accepted
during the past century, a puff
of white smoke Is supposed to
signal that q new Pope has
been elected. The smoke Is
from ballots which are burned
In q small stove In the chapel
after each round Of voting. II
10 Pope has been elected the
ballots are burned alone. II no
candidate has received the re-
CURED majority, q little damp
straw is supposed TO be added
and the smoke Is supposed TO
come out black.
The signal system hardly Is
foolproof. Despite the addition
OF the straw. great pillows Of
white smoke shot from the
chimney on the first day OF
voting In 1858. Vatican radio
announced erroneously that a
Pope had been elected.
The next day the cardinals
added a petroleum by-product
10 the burning ballots 10 make
sure the smoke would come out
black.
Three days later Angelo Gu
seppe Cardinal Roncalli, Patri-
arch Of Venice. received the re-
CURED majority from the con-
clave Of 81 cardinals. Then
there was q tiny wlsp Of smoke,
but none could say for certain
whether II was white or black.
The hustle Of activity on the
balcony Of 81. Peters Basicila
ended the doubts.