HOW A POPE IS ELECTED

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 31, 30 July 1903, Page 2

HOW A POPE IS ELECTED

THE CONCLAVE AND ITS STORY The death of the Grand Old Man of the Vatican has set speculation wagging its tongue volubly in the columns of the secular press. Journalistic futurists here and in other lands are busily engaged in naming his successor — endeavoring to ' Make fools believe in their foreseeing Of things befoie they are in being.' But this is an old habit of the press. It recalls the confident, though oft-shifting, prophecies which were oracularly uttered by the Londonn ' Times ' when Pius IX had passed to the majority. The ' Thunderer's ' speculations were numerous and varied. Sometimes they were even entertaining. But they resolved themselves at least into this final, definite, and confident piediction : 'We can only be sure of one thing, and that is, that Cardinal lecci will not be elected.' But Cardinal Pecci was elected, and speedily elected, and his reign will probably be ranked as one of the most memorable in the long history of the Papacy. And the moral of all this vain prophesying serves only to give a fresh confirmation to the truth of the saying that has been for generations current in the Eternal City : ' He that enters the Conclave a Pope, comes out a Cardinal.' The popular voice and the vaticinations of the newspaper prophets lurn out in most cases, to be alike at fault. ' Various descriptions of the mode of electing a Sovereign Pontiff have of late appeared in the columns of the secular papers. So far as they go they are in the main fairly correct Unfortunately, they are taken, for the most part, at first or second or third hand from the hostile pages of Ronghetti, the Rev. Arthur Robert Pennington, and other non-Catholic writers, and they are all, though in various degrees, marked with moie or less Ludicrous Blunders about Catholic doctrine and the technical terms of the Conclave, and contain the usual reckless statements ,as to 'candidates' and 'aspirants' for the papal office, and the customary stories of log-rolling and intrigue. The object of the present aiticle is to gi\e the readels of the ' New Zealand Tablet ' a brief general statement of the chief phases through which election to the Papal See has passed, and then to detail the \anous picpaiations for, and proceedings of, the conclave that begins on Fnday evening of this week and < nit nines its deliberations until it h;.s appointed a successor to the late lllustnous Pontiff. The facts here stated aie taken fiom \anous authontati\e source 1 -, but mainly fiom t lie gieat w ork of the Chevalier (irctano Moroni, the ' Di/nmai 10 di Emdi/ione Stonco-ecclcsiastica,' which was pulnMcd in 109 volumes undei the supei \ lsion of Po] c (iiegoiy \YI in iXH '1 his noted work still remains t i.c highest authontv on all matters connected with elections to the See of St Petei I The office of Pope, like that of other bishops, and of pnests and deacons, is of dn me institution But the Mode of Appointment to the papal chair was rot eVteimuted by thei Founder of the Church This is one of tl.e many mat t ci s that were li'tt to the Chinch to anguine iion'i Inne according as :ts cnlightci.cd wisdom and the van ing circumstances o! the pa'-s'iig a cos might suggest " The Chinch, her lninisti), liei Sacraments, etc , aie divinely appointed, but her government is nece^sarilv earned out by human instruments and human methods The laws determining the succession to the See ol St Petei aie among the elements that aie of human institution m the Chinch Like all othei \ital functions of t'.c ( lunch, Ihey ha\ c passed Hn ough a veiy nileiostii.e, oiganic e\ olution— not levolution , ior ' liiovvth, not explosion, is the law of lile ' At the d< vn ot t he Clmstwin Chinch, St Peter, the fir -. (. Pop 0 , ocu.pied the Sop of Rome His three first siKc^sois v.i re Linus, (Ictus, and Clenicpt They were pro! ably his coadjutors in the work ol his sacred office in these troubled eaily da\ s of the Chunh, ard the order ol then succession is supposed to ha\e been appointed by him Fiom St Peter's da} i,iiv.anl, for o\cr nine centimes— to the da\s of Pope (Jrcgory the Croat, the levisei and refoimtr of ecclesiastical disc ii>ln-.e— the Popes wcie e'ected by the lomt ai lion of the dcn r v and laity ot the Eternal City When, in A D 313, the Emperor Constantino ivivo peace to the l iiunh ait or a loiif>, ova mar l ed with fnqueiit ard finious periods of pei sedition, primitive methods of elation to the papol chair were still pursued The chic.} and i,ut\ took part in the choice As time went on there came the occasional addition of a count 11, sometimes inteilei(nce fiom political paities oi factions, and liequent attempts by em-

perors, kings, and exarchs to exercise a controlling voice in the appointment of the next occupant of the Chair of St. Peter. It is, however, to be observed that in the selection of the new Pontiff, the laity, throughout merely proposed or suggested a successor to the deceased Pope. The Final Selection, according to the canons, always rested by right with the clergy. In 476 Odoacer, who ruled over the western part of the' Roman Empire, made a law that the Roman clergy and people should consult him or his prefect before proceeding to the selection of a Pope. This law was, however, repudiated by the bishops as contiary to the canons, and in a council held by Pope Symmachus it was declared null and void. In the days when the State was more closely allied with the Church, the Byzantine, Roman, German, and French sovereigns endeavored to secure an important voice in the selection of a Pope. A measure of interference was tolerated by reason of the stress of troublous times, or the difficulty of otherwise securing a decent measure of good order and freedom in the election of a Pontiff, or for the sake of the peace and well-being of the Church in this or that country. Such interference was, however, regarded at all times as an invasion of the spiritual domain and a violation of, or departure from the canons which was only permitted because of the pressure of circumstances or force majeure. It has been remarked that a non-Catholic sovereign who persecutes cannot do nearly so much harm as a Catholic one who meddles. The meddling of Catholic crowned heads led now and then to many abuses. It precipitated, for instance, the great Schism of the West, which, in turn, created conditions that directly paved the way for the rebellions of Huss, Luther, Calvin, and Henry VIII. The breach between Church and State has had at least this indirect good result :it happily leaves the Cardinals assembled in Conclave free from political pressure from without and enables them to choose for the papal tlirone the man whom they believe in their hearts to , b& the best fitted for that exalted and responsible office. The part taken by the clergy of Rome down through the ages in the papal elections was regulated from the earliest times by law and custom. In the early Christian Church every bishop had what was called his 'presbytery ' or body of priests and deacons. This was the case also in Rome, the mistress and pattern of all the scattered portions of the early Church. The Pope's ' presbytery ' consisted of the priests and deacons of the local Church in Rome. ' The form of this presbytery, however,' says the author of ' Urbs et Orbis/ ' underwent some changes in early times. Five-and-twenty, and afterwards a larger number ,of the principal churches in Rome were erected into " titles." To these fixed priests were assigned, and they were called the Titulars. About 240 Pope Fabian divided the city into seven Regions, and over each of these he placed a Regionary Deacon. Those deacons were to watch over pious Institutes, and the oratories attached to them, and to have care of the poor and the sick. When priests and deacons were thus entitled and incardinated or enhinged on a church or oratory, they were, from the word "cardo" (a hinge), Called Cardinals.' • Cardinati ' was the word. The term seems to have been, at a later period, and as a reflex of Roman usage, applied to the canons of cathedrals in some other places ; but it | was probably only Swhat is termed , in our days a courtesy title, and it was suppressed in the sixteenth century. ' After the ninth century, 1 says the author quoted above, ' certain bishops of neighboring cities were annexed to the Roman Church, and they also were called Cardinals.' There were at first eight of those Cardinalbishops | Two of these suburban sees were, however, at a later date, amalgamated with others and there thus remained, and still remain, six to which the cardinalate is attached— Ostia and Velletri, Porto and Santa Rufina, Frascati, Sabina, Albano, and Palestrina. The formalities that usually took place in connection with the election of a new Pope previous to the eleventh century may be briefly stated as follows : Three days after the death of the late Pontiff the bishops of the suburban sees convoked the Roman clergy and people to assemble in the Lateran Cathedral (' the mother and mistress of all the churches), or in some other church, to appoint his successor. Besides the ' cardinati ' there were present the archdeacon and all the leading ecclesiastical dignitaries of the local Church of Rome and the lower clergy — subdeacons, etc. The laity also assembled — soldiers, senators, nobles, officials, and the general body of the citizens. The suburban bishops (or Cardinal-bi-shops, as we now call them) presided and supervised the proceedings. ' The lower orders of the clergy and the body of the laity " acclaimed " or Proposed some Candidate. The body of the Roman officials, magistrates, officers of the army, and so on, either suggested this candidate

or opposed him with another name.' The bishops and the ' primates cleri ' (or principal -ecclesiastical functionaries) • then made their choice, or confirmed that already suggested. The presiding Cardinal-bishops lastly ratified the same and enthroned the new Pontiff.' 11. Nicholas 11. was the last Pope chosen by this form of election. He came to the papal throne in 1058. la consequence of some abuses that had crept in and interfered with the full freedom of election, he, in a council held in the Lateran in the following year (1059) decreed that the Cardinal-bishops should alone have the right of election, while the Cardinal-priests and Cardinal-dea-cons should be called upon to give their adhesion to the election, aq4 the inferior clergy and the laity their consent. In the course of time, however, the Cardinalpriests and the Cardinal-deacons became, for the purposes of election, equal to the Cardinal-bishops, and all of them collectively formed one 4 College ' or body. This arrangement was confirmed by Pope Alexander 111. in the Third Lateran Council, in 1179, which vindicated her ancient freedom for the Church and established the law that has been ever since in force : namely, that the Roman Pontiff was to be elected by the Cardinals and by them alone, and that two-thirds of their votes were henceforth necessary for a valid election. This was the semi-final step in the evolution of tho College of Cardinals as it is at present constituted. Long before that date, however, Pope Leo IV. (in 833), held weekly meetings of his Cardinals to discuss ecclesiastical affairs. This was the germ of the modern Consistory or Papal Council of State. In the same century (in 872) John VII. held monthly conferences of his Cardinals in connection with matters of Church discipline, etc. This was the origin of the present-day Roman Congregations. The Number of Cardinals has varied greatly at different times. In the early part of the twelfth century they numbered fifty-three. In the sorrowful days when the Popes lived away from the Eternal City, at Avignon (France), the Cardinals did not count more than a round score. In 1586, in the reign of Sixtus V., various Roman ' Congregations ' (or assemblies of Cardinals and other learned and able men) were formed for the transaction of the affairs of the Universal Church. This had been suggested in the Council of Trent. At present they number eleven, each devoted — after the) manner of a State Department — to one or other of the varied activities of the Church's life. To help in supplying the personnel of the various Congregations, the number of the Cardinals was raised by Sixtus V, to seventy, l after the pattern of The Seventy Ancients whom God gave to Moses as his assistants and counsellors.' Six of these are Cardinal-bishops. The names of their Sees have already been given. Fifty of this great papal council of seventy are Cardinal-priests. Each of these is incumbent of one of the parish churches within the city, their title coming down from very 'ancient times. The remaining fourteen are Cardinal-dea-cons. They are the modern representatives of the deacons whose work and authority were so great and extended in the early days of the Christian faith in Rome. The ' College,' or body, of Cardinals seldom, however. attains to its full number of seventy, and there are at present (as there generally are) several unfilled vacancies in its ranks. The Cardinals are the Pope's Privy Councillors and the Church's electors— in this matter they are the heirs, so to speak, of the suburban bishops and the ' primates cleri ' of the early days. They assist the Pope in the administration of the Universal Church. All of them are attached to various Congregations. One of them is the Pope's Secretary of State. Some of them act on occasions, as papal legates. Others are nuncios (or ambassadors, as we should say) in the four • nunciatures of the first class '—Madrid, Paris, Vienna, and Lisbon. At times some of them are sent as delegates-apostolic to supervise the affairs of the Church in this or that country. It was in this capacity that Cardinals Satolli and Martinelli were sent to the United States. As a rule, Cardinals, like bishops, are not appointed until they are thirty-two years tif . age. It is not necessary that they should be priests or even deacons. Cases have occurred in which simple clerics have, because of conspicuous ability or distinguished services to the Church, been raised to the Cardinalate. Cardinal Pellegrini, for instance, was only in minor orders when Pius IX, in the last consistory held before his death, raised him to the sacred purple. A month later, however, the newly-made Cardinal was ordained priest. But unless a Cardinal has received the order of deacon he is not permitted to have a vote in the election of the new Pope. At the present time all the Cardinals bear the dignity of the priestly state, and by far the greater

part )pt them the episcopate as well. All Cardinals, even those that are only priests or deacons, Take Precedence of Bishops that are not Cardinals. Bishops are, of course, higher in the matter of Holy Orders than any other persons, whosoever they may be, that are merely priests or deacons. But here it is a question, not of Order, but of dignity. And in the Church, dignity is measured, not by the standard of Holy Orders, but of office and jurisdiction. And the jurisdiction of Cardinals, who lorm the senate, or magistracy of the Universal Church, is, of course, greater lhau that, of a bishop, , wuobe authority extends only over a limited area. In the same way, an archbishop, though only the equal of a bishop in Sacred Orders, is higher in dignity by, reason of Ins wider jurisdiction or range of spiritual authority • The College of Cardinals,' says Dr. Kolbe, ' is made up of those men who have risen to supreme ecclesiastical eminence throughout the world. They **c chosen partly for efficient administrative service, partly for the power of hierarchical ruling, partly for the sheer genius with which they have illuminated the Church of God, partly also for some position which may rank them as representatives of their various nationalities. . . The institution is quite democratic ; the only avenue to it is that of merit— with the exception of those few (and the species is almost extinct) who are chosen for rank and national position. . . This elective body, thus democratically constituted, is equally democratic in its power of choice. Just as any American may become President, so Any Catholic may Become Pope. Even a layman may be chosen. A man has only to impress himself on the imagination of the whole world as a leader in the Church, and he will stand a chance of being chosen. This is the theory : There have Leen times when it was practical, and there may yet be times when it may become practical again As things are now, any man sufficiently prominent to be a likely Pope must have been for a long time more than sufficiently prominent to be a Cardinal. Hence, as a rule, the election is from among the Cardinals themselves. But it must be remembered that this is only because the roads to cardinahtial rank are all open.' The reader is now sufficiently acquainted with thA nature and constitution of the august assembly whose duty is is to appoint a successor to the venerable Pontiff of happy memory over whose death the Catholic world is still in mourning. The mode of appointing the new Pope has undergone several modifications since it wats restricted to the Cardinals in 1179. The first and most important of these was the carrying out of the election in a Conclave, or enclosed assembly. It had its origin in 1271. Pope Clement IV. had died two years previously. The Cardinals assembled at \ iterbo, dallied over the election of his successor. St. Bonaventure and Philip 111 of France expostulated with them o\er the unseemly delay, and the authorities walled them within their meeting-place (the episcopal palace) and stationed guard around to prevent communication between them and the outside world. The result was the speedy eleclion of Pope Gregory X. Three years later (July 7, 1274) this Pontiff issued a special constitution for the guidance of future papal elections It oulamcd that the Cardinals present in curia (that is, in residence at the papal Court) should, on the death of a Tope, ay. ait foi ten days only the arrival of their absent colleagues and .then proceed to elect his successor in the palace last inhabited by the defunct Pontiff ; the principle of the conclave or Enclosed Place of Meeting was affirmed ; communication by written or sj:o!s j :o! en message to or from the outside world was forliddm under penalty of excommunication ; the Caidinals wae to t'i Icuss no other question than the election , tiny vcie exhorted to lay aside all private griefs, preiudiccs, or conventions, and the faithful were exhorted to pray daily for the election of a woithy occupant of the Chair of St. Petei. The legislation in piesent in foice for the election of the Pope is, with slight modification:- , contained in two Bulls of Pope 1 Gregory XV , who was elected 'on the first day of the conclave m 1021, and m the following year— the year which paectd(d his deathfounded the Congregation of the Propaganda One of these Bulls (called, from its first woids, the ' Acierni Patris ') regulates the organisation, the other the ceremonial, of the Conclave. Everything that human forethought could suggest has been dore to .secure that the election to tho papal chair shaU rcifher he piecipitated nor unduly delayed, and that it shall he fue and subject to no external piessure pi persuasion With very slight modifications, these Bulls aie in force at the present time. Their prcuiMons, and the subsequent slirht amendments Hereto, will be sufficiently clear to our readcis from the fol-

lowing description of the proceedings of the Conclave U *?J f l^' 11011 °j a successor to the great and saintly oJd Pontiff who has gone to his rest. 111. Pope Leo XIII. passed away on Monday, July 20. After the solemn ceremony described in our last issue, in which the Cardinal Chamberiain verified and announced his death, the remains of the late Pontift were embalmed, clothed in papal vestments, and laid in state upon a catafalque in the Chapel oi-Uje Blessed Sacrament m the gieat Basilica of St. Peter's. The obsequies last for nine days, exclusive of the day of death aiiU the following day, which is a 'day of preparation.' iney therefore began on Wednesday of last week and close on Thursday of this week. For six days the \° h nu ce f erno ™es we re carried out by the members of he Chapter of St. Peter's; for the remaining three ( iu yS y x, th J e Carrtina ls present in the Eternal City. On the ninth day (Thursday) the funeral oration is preached, and the last solemn rites performed, but on a previous day during the obsequies (in the present instance 1 it was last Sunday) the body of Leo XI I. was temporarily placed in a little vault in St. Peters, pending its transfer to the last resting-place. During the last days of the obsequies, the masters of ceremonies distribute among the Cardinals copies of the Bulls of Gregory XV. regarding the election of a Roman Pontiff. Immediately upon the death of the Pope the Cardinal Chamberlain assumed control of the Vatican, summoned the Cardinals from all parts of the world to Home, and made all the arrangements for the holding of the conclave. A corps of artisans was set to work in the Vatican. Two or three of its great halls were selected, divided by Wooden Partitions into clusters of small cells— two tiny rooms for each Cardinal (bedroom and sittingroom), a bedroom for his secretary or conclavist (who must be a 'priest), and another for his lay valet. Neither secretary nor valet may be a relative of the Cardinal whom they assist. All the cells open upon a corridor. Apartments are erected for each living Cardinal, whetner he is present or not The various apartments are chosen by lot by the last elected Cardinal at the sixth of the meetings which their Imminences hold daily during the novemdiali or nine days of the obsequies. Over each set of compartments is placed the coat-of-arms of its occupant. On Friday morning of this week— the day following the close of the obsequies, the tenth day from their beginning, the twelfth from the death of the late Pope— the Cardinals assemble in the Vatican The Cardinal Dean (or .senior Cardinal) celebrates the solemn Mass of the Holy Ghost in the Sistine Chapel. In the afternoon the piocessiobal cntiy into Conclave takes place the Cardinals singing the ' Veni Sanete Spnitus ' (or hymn of invocation 1o the Holy Ohcst). It is followed by the customary prayer. Then the constitutions governing the Conclave are read The Cardinals, one by one, take oath to obey them The necessary oaths of secrecy are also administered to every person, lay and ecclesiastical, •hat is in any way connected with the Conclave During the remainder of the afternoon the Cardinals are Iree to receive visitois, and the halls of the Conclave arc filled with a brilliant assemblage of persons of distinction, among them the ambassadors and delegates of various foreign States. At the hour of nightfall bells rue rung thice times, and then everybody is excluded, and remains excluded, except the Cardinals and those who, for necessary service, etc, are authorised to remain. In the Conclave of 1878, at which the late Pope was elected, there were sixty Cardinals, each with Ins pnest-secietary ami valet ; a sacristan v.nh fn c attendants ; six masters of ceremonies, a general seeietary with three attendants; two doctor, a monk-chemist; four barbers, a carpenter, a mason, a locksmith, a g'a/ier, a plumber— each with one assistant; fifteen cooks with Iheir ' helps,' and twenty-four men servants. There weie, in all, neaily 250 peisons, all ruled, as rerards tcmpoi,.l matters, by the Cardinal Chamberlain. All the enhances to the building are closed up except one and tlmt is in charge of the hereditary Marsha! of the Conclave ('row Pnnce Chigi), whose duty it is to grard the Sacred College from Intrusion from Without. One of the two keys of this door is held by the Cardinal Chamberlain, the other by the ' Governor of the ConHave,' who is a prelate cho>en by the assembled CardiiKiK Into the door )•, built a tin nine; box, through which food is passed This i-, likewise locked with two '>cvs, one of which is kept by a guard outside, the other by the cluef master of ccrrmonies inside Prelates of various grades who aie changed fwiee a day, keep watch and ward outside to see that no letters or messages are

passed into the Conclave. A strict surveillance is even exercised over the food brought for the Cardinals lest any written communication should be conveyed to them by this channel. Provision is made for the admission of late-coming Cardinals, and only a sick Cardinal is allowed to leave the Conclave. And, generally speaking, every precaution that enlightened prudence could suggest is taken to secure the election of a Pope after God's own heart, and to prevent the meddling interference of princes or politicians or of any outside influence whatever, with the deliberations of this august assembly. And thus the Conclave is opened. On next Saturday morning the Monsignor Sacristan celebrates the Mass of the Holy Ghost in the Pauline Chapel of the Vatican. All the Cardinals receive Holy Communion. Aftei a thanksgiving and the recitation of the hymn ' Veni Creator Spiritus ' and its prayer, they proceed to the Sistine Chapel and under its wondrous frescoes— the work of Michael Angelc— the election of the new Pope takes place. There are at present Three Recognised Modes

of providing a new occupant for the Holy See : (1) by acclamation ; (2) by compromise ; and (3) by ordinary ballot and by a second-choice vote which is technically termed the ' accessit.' This is the customary way.'Provisions for each of these methods of appointment are found in the Bull of Pope Gregory XV.

(1) Appointment by acclamation takes place when a man is so conspicuously the right person to sit in .the place of St. Peter that, at the proper time, the assembled Cardinals, by word of mouth or other outward manifestations, single him out together without a dissentient voice and without a resort to the ballot. Some nine or ten Popes were chosen in this way, beginning with St. Fabian in A.D. 238, and ending with Pope Gregory XV. in 162 J. (2) Another recognised mode of electing a Pope is by compromise. In this case the Cardinals, when unable to come to any agreement, unanimously entrust the election of the future Pontiff to a small committee of their number, and bind themselves, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution ' Aeterni Patris,' to recognise the person thus selected as the lawful Pope. Only four out of the long line of Roman Pontiffs were placed upon the throne by the way of compromise : Clement IV. (12C5), Gregory X. (1271), Clement V. 1305), and John XXII. (1316)— all m the time's when the secular power made the keenest efforts to interfere with the full freedom of election required by the ancient canons. (3) The third and customary mode of choosing a Pop« is By Ordinary Ballot and ' Accessit,' a two-thirds majority of the Cardinals present in Conclave being required for a valid election. The voting throughout is by secret ballot. It takes place twice each day until the desired majority is secured for some person : in the morning it is preceded by the Mass and the hymn ' Veni Creator Spintus,' in the afternoon by the hymn alone— with, of 'course, in each case, its accompanying versicle, response, and prayer. The dual voting must take place no matter what the feast may be (Christmas, Easter, etc.), all the Cardinals are bound, under pain of excommunication, to be present and take part in it unless lawfully prevented from attending. At the voting the Cardinals sit on violet canopied seats arrayed in the order of their appointment. A small violet covered table is placed in front of each. Their secretaries provide them with portfolios and writing materials ; prayers are recited ; then the master of ceremonies raises his voice in the words of command, ' Extra omnes ' (' all outside ') ; all except the Cardinals immediately retire ; the doors of the Sisime Chapel are securely bolted, and the voting begins. The voting, as already stated, is by secret ballot thra.f.Lcut. The Bull of Gregory XV. divides the whole process into three stages : (I.) the acts which precede the scrutiny (or examination of the \otes cast) ; (II.) the scrutiny itself ; and '(HI ) the acts that follow the scrutiny. (I.) The preparatory acts are as follows : (a) The schedulae or ballot papers are prepared both for the first-choice voting and for the second-choice voting. These ballot papers are about eight inches long by five wide. On top of next column is a reduced facsimile of the face of the first ballot-paper as it is handed to the Cardinals. The upper division is to be filled in with the name of the Cardinal who casts the vote. The middle division is intended for the name of the .person who is voted for. The lowest division contains a number and motto, the motto consisting usually of some words of Holy Scripture. (b) The next thing to be done is to appoint Three Cardinal Scrutineers and three other Cardinals (called ' infirmarians ') to to visit the cells of their sick confreres (if any) and collect their ballot-papers, (c) Each Cardinal then fills in

his voting-paper, writing in a disguised hand (1) his name, (2) the name of the person for whom he votes, and (3) a number and motto. The face of one of these papers, when filled in, looks like this (the names used here are, however, fictitious and are printed in italics :

(d) The voters, next fold and seal, their ballot-papers in such a way that neither their name nor their number and motto can be seen. This is done by folding the ballot-paper forward to the front along the lines which we have marked A B and C D, and then sealing them with a secret seal (made for the occasion) in the manner indicated in facsimile which appears at top of next column The folded ballot-paper then presents the appearance shown above. It will be observed that the back of the top flap that ts folded over contains the word ' Nomen ' (name*— indicating the place wheie the voter's name is written) ; the, lower flap bears the word ' Signa ' (meaning the voter's number and motto) ; and that they are surrounded by type-ornaments for the purpose, of preventing the scrutineers ascertaining who cast the vote. (c) Each Cardinal elector having his voting-paper ready, folds it across twice, and takes it, in his turn, to the altar, where the three scrutineers sit, holds it over the> large chalice prepared for its reception, and

Takes the Following Oath : ' I call upon Christ my Lord, who is toibe my Judge, to witness that I cast my vote for him whom, before God, I believe ought to be chosen. and that I will do likewise in the " accessit." ' He then drops the ballot-paper into the chalice and returns to his place.

(II ) When all the voting-papers are in the chalice the senior scrutineer shakes them together. The second scrutineer next counts them into another chalice to see that correspond in number to the voters present. If they do not they are all burned and the voting starts anew. If correct, the chalice and its contents' are brought down to a table that stands in the midst of the electors. The first scru-

tineer then takes each papers separately, reads aloud the name of the person voted for, and passes it on to the second. He does the same, and passes it on to the third, who does likewise. Each Cardinal in the meantime marks the votes so announced upon a printed list of > all the living Cardinals that is placed before him. When the scrutiny is completed the senior scrutineer announces the 'result in Latin ,( which is the language of the Conclave).

(III.) But even when a two-thirds majority has been obtained, the election is not yet completed. The ' postscrutinium,' or acts that follow the scrutiny, come next in , order. Three Cardinals are now selected by lot as revisers. They go with the minutest care over every detail of the proceedings once more. In the event of an exact two -thirds majority — and in this case alone — the names of the voters are examined, to see that no Cardinal voted for himF,elf. Such a proceeding is to the last degree unlikely, but it is examined into closely, as, in the case under consideration, it would render the election null and void. According to the constitution \ ' Aeterni Patris ' the elected one cannot turn the scale with his own vote. In the event of a valid

Two-thirds Majority being obtained, the election is over, and the papers are burned in the presence of the voters in a way which will be described later on. IV. When an electoral sitting has given no result it is at once followed by a secondary voting, technically termed The • Accessit.' In this case the first voting-papers are filed and kept for later reference and comparison. This is a re-voting for a second choice — for some person who has already had at least one vote. just cast for him, but not for the same as the elector voted for before This method of voting was practised in the Roman Senate and was probably first employed by the Church in 1455 in the election of Cahxtus 111. Its object is to hasten the election of a Pope, as many of the Cardinals, finding their votes thrown away on confreres who have no likelihood of being raised to the papal throne, there and then pass over to others whose chances of filling the vacant place are more roseate. The second, or ' accessit,' voting takes place immediately after the first in every case of non-election. It is in all essentials similar to the first, the following being the chief points of difference : (1) The wording of the ballot-paper is somewhat different. Instead of saying ' I choose Cardinal So-and-so to be Sovereign Pontiff ' '(as in the second facsimile given above), the elector writes : ' I pass over to Cardinal Such-a-one.' ,(2) Every Cardinal must fill up and hand in a ballot-paper. He is allowed to vote only for some person who received support at the unsuccessful ballot just concluded ; but he must not vote for the same person for whom he cast his suffrage. If, however, he desires to still retain his vote for the

person of his previous choice, he writes the word • Nemini ' (« I go over to no one ') in the place reserved for the candidate's name, and fills in his (the voter's) name, number, and motto, as in the previous ballot. (3) The scrutiny of the ♦ accessit ' votes by scrutineers and revisors proceeds on the same lines as have already been laid down in connection with the first voting, except that the lower seals are opened and the numbers and mottoes of the first and second sets of papers are carefully compared and other minute and exacting precautions are taken to arrive at absolutely accurate results. Finally, all ths ballot-papers, both of the first .voting and of the ' accessit ' or second voting- are burned in the presence of the voters, whether the election has been successful or not. When the election has resulted in the required majority, the papers are burned as they are. When the sitting has given no result, a handful of damp straw is thrown on the fire with the burning papers, and the • spumata,' or puff of smoke, that ascends by the chimney to the open air is a notification to the alert and expectant Romans that they have not yet a Pontiff, and must not relax their prayers for Divine guidance for the closed assembly of the Church's electors. With the burning of the papers the proceedings terminate for the time being. But the Cardinals are not allowed to leave the Conclave. They remain, so to speak, like the jury that is locked ,up in order to hasten its decision. All of their proceedings that we have described represent the work of the first morning of the Conclave. The same process of election is repeated in the afternoon. The only difference in the proceedings is this : that, in the afternoon, they do not begin with the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries. And thus the first and second ballots go on twice daily until the required majority of two-thirds is obtained. Since the thirteenth century the Cardinal-electors have, however, except in rare cases and disturbed times, reached, with reasonable despatch, this consummation so devoutly to be wished. When the Final and Successful Scrutiny has been announced to the assembled voters, the lastappointed Cardinal-deacon rings a bell. The secretary of the Conclave, and the masters of ceremonies then enter. They advance with the Deans (or seniors) of the three orders of the Sacred College— Cardinal-bishops^ Cardinalpriests, and Cardinal-deacons — and stand before the Popeelect. The Dean of the Sacred College then addresses him thus in Latin : ' Acceptasne electionem de te canonice factum in Summum Pontificem ? ' (' Dost thou accept thy canonical election to the office of Sovereign Pontiff ?') Leo's answer to this question was : ' Since God wills that I should assume the Pontificate, I cannot refuse it.' When the Pope-elect assents, the Cardinals draw away respectfully to right and left and the canopies over their chairs-of-state are lowered. That of the new Pope alone remains standing. ' Again,' says a recent writer, ' the Cardinal Dean asks the new Pope by what name he \ulls to be known, and repeats his reply aloud to the assembly. Then, while the Apostolic Prothonotary busies himself in drawing up official papers, the newly-elect kneels Jfor a moment before the altar, and then passes into the sacristy beyond. Here his conclavists assist him to take off his Cardinal's robes ; his valet draws on the white silk stockings and scarlet shoes, while other assistants bring out three new white cassocks of different sizes, always prepared in advance, to fit any and every figure, one of which he selects, with sash, cap, rochet, moietta ; and the Cardinal First-deacon brings the scarlet embroidered stole. Then he returns to the chapel, where his canopied throne has already been placed on the Gospel side of the altar, and, as he seats himself thereon, the long train of Cardinals kneel before him, one by one, to make " The First Obedience." Now he confirms or names a new Camerlingo, and that official in his turn passes upon the Pontiff's finger the Ring of the Fisherman, or visible symbol of pontifical jurisdiction. Then the first Cardinal-deacon, preceded by one of the masters of ceremonies bearing the papal processional cross, passes out upon the great balcony above the portico of St. Peter's and utters aloud, in Latin, the formal proclamation : " I announce unto you a great joy; we have a Pontiff, the most eminent Cardinal , who has taken the name of ." ' As soon as possible after his election, the new Pope gives his blessing to the multitudes that assemble to see and hear- him. While tue i^opes were sovereigns in their own city this blessing was given from a ' loggia ' in the facade ,of St. Peter's, looking out on the great and dense-crowded square. But Leo XIII. gave his first blessing from a balcony inside the great Basilica. Our Catholic readers everywhere should heartily join in the supplications which the Church throughout the world is offering at the altar day by day that the Holy Spirit may deign to place upon the Chair of St. Peter a successor worthy of the Old Man that has passed away in the fulness of years and honor and good works.