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Show POPE CELEBBATES ANNIVERSARY ANNIVER-SARY OF HIS ELECTION". The Conclave That Elected Him. Pope Leo XIII, who has been a shining shin-ing light and a brilliant ornament in the Chair of Peter for a quarter of a century, and who celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his election on the 20th of the present month, was born on March 2, 1810, was ordained priest' Dec. 31, 1837, consecrated rach-bishop rach-bishop Feb. 17, 1S43; proclaimed cardinal cardi-nal Dec. 19, 1833: elected Pope Feb. 20, 1878, and crowned Pope March 3, 1878. The editor of the "Record, Louisville, Ky.. gives the following graphic description de-scription of the conclave that elected him: Pope Pius IX. of saintly memory, died on February the 7th, 1S7S. He had attained the eighty-fifth years of his age, the fifty-first of his episcopate and the thirty-second of his pontificate. Poachim Cardinal Pecci at the time was the Cardinal Camerlengo. On him devolved the office of certifying certi-fying to the Pope's demise, and announcing an-nouncing ir. On him devolved the temporary headship of the Church, and the preparations prep-arations for the Conclave. The obsequies of Pius IX continued nine days. The funeral ceremonies ended in the Sistine chapel on Sunday, the 17th of February. On Monday, the ISth, the members of the Sacred College, sixty-one in number, assisted in the Pauline chapel at the Solemn Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost. Three members of the Sacred College were absent one was lying at the point of death; the other two, Cardinals Cullen and McCloskey, arrived only after the election. On the 18th of February the Solemn Mass of the Holy Ghost was celebrated in the Vatican. When the Mass was ended, the Sacred College of Cardinals proceeded . from the Pauline chapel to the Sistine chapel. The Veni Sancte Spiritus was recited. Thereupon the sub-dean read the regulations governing govern-ing the Conclave. The oath was taken. Upon this, each cardinal was conducted con-ducted by a noble guard to the cell assigned him. The cells were in the Cortile di San Damaso of the Vatican. There they were left by themselves. The Camerlengo, accompanied by the senior cardinal, gave the keys of the Conclave door to the marshal. By 9 o'clock that evening the Conclave was completed. At 9 o'clock on the next morning, the 19th of February, the cardinals pro ceeded to the Sistine chapel, where fiie dean said a low Mass. Then all seated themselves, and the election began. At noon the first ballot took place by sealed votes. Cardinal Pecci received twenty-three votes. As this number did not constitute the required two-thirds, two-thirds, the ballots were burned, and the ashes scattered from one of the windows of the chapel, which indi- cated to the people waiting below that there had been no- elections A recess During the recess Cardinal Pecci, the Camerlengo, left the chapel and returned re-turned to his cell .where he prostrated himself in humble, sorrowful prayer, beseeching God, with many tears, to avert from him the impending burden of the Pontificate. When the hour fixed for the resumption resump-tion of the session came, and the master mas-ter of ceremonies announced the words. "In capellam Domini." meaning all should return to the chapel, he entered en-tered it with a, heavy heart. The "Veni Creator" was sung, after which each one prepared his ballot, imploring God for light. Finally, the ballot was deposited. ai?I the counting began. Again the name of Cardinal Pecci was' repeated and repeated: th? previous number of twenty-three was reached and passed: thirty was announced. The cardinal was ashy pale and trembled violently. The Cardinal Archbishop cf Bordeaux, who sat next to him, perceiving hia great agitation, sajd: "I noticed that Cardinal Pecci, hairing hair-ing his name repeated fco often, and when everything seemed to point to him as the successor of Pius IX, eouFd not contain himself. Great tears rolled down his cheeks, and his hand trembled trem-bled so that the pen he held fell to the floor. I picked it up and returned it to him. saying: " 'Courage! You must not think of yourself. The only question now is of the Church and the future of the world.' Silently he lifted his eyes to heaven in prayer." The voting continued. Thirty-eight times the name of Cardinal Pecci was f repeated. The next morning, Wednesday, February Feb-ruary the 20th, the voting was resumed. All the cardinals of the Sacred Conclave Con-clave were touched and deeply impressed im-pressed by the humility of Cardinal Pecci. More and more they felt that the Holy Ghost had singled him out to direct the bark of Peter. When the votes were counted, it was announced that Cardinal Pecci had received re-ceived forty-four, which number was more than the required two-thirds. Then followed an impressive scene. During the conclave, there had been erected over each of the cardinal a canopy. These were taken down, ona by one; only one was allowed to remain, re-main, and this one was the canopy over the seat of Cardinal Pecci, the elect. The dean of the sacred college advanced ad-vanced to him and asked him: "Ac-ceptasne, "Ac-ceptasne, electionem in summum ponti-ficem?" ponti-ficem?" "Dost thou accept the election to the supreme pontificate?" f Cardinal Pecci answered that he was f not worthy of the honor, but since he I had been chosen by all, he submitted to the will of God. j The dean then asked him: "Quomodo 5 vis vocari?" "By what mftie wilt thou j 'be called?" Cardinal Pecci answered: "Leo XIII. '' j The act of acceptance was drawn up by the Apostoliu Prothonotary, and i duly witnessed. The .newly elected pope, Joachim (Coalinuad oa Pua Q . POPE LEO CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY ANNI-VERSARY OF ELECTION. (Continued from page 1.) Cardinal Pecci retired to vest himself in the papal robes, whereupon he returned re-turned to . the chapel. The cardinals one by one, advanced, kissed his hand' and embraced him. The new pope appointed ap-pointed Cardinal Schwarzenbecg to the office of Camerlengo. The new Camer-lengo Camer-lengo then put the fisherman's ring on the finger of the pope. This done all the cardinals of the conclave advanced and kissed the feet of Leo XIII, who when this was ended, imparted to them I for the first time the apostolic benediction. bene-diction. Throughout the days of the conclave, the; people .awaited; the .result' on the piazza of St. Peter. 3 Tpwards the hour of 1 o'clock, on that day, the 20th of February, the, bars of the Loggia were taken down and Cardinal Caterini, in his capacity as the oldest cardinal-deacon, appeared and said: "I announce to you a great joy; we have as pope the Most Eminent and Reverend Lord Joachim Pecci, who has taken to himself him-self the name, Leo XIII." The bells of St. Peter's pealed forth the joyful news, followed by all Se bells of the Eternal City. All Rome was in commotion and pleasurable excitement. ex-citement. Towards evening, at the hour of 5:30 o'clock, St. Peter's was one living sea of human beings, awaiting th eappear-ance eappear-ance of the new pope, Leo XIII. The windows of the interior loggia "were thrown-open, and he made his appearance. appear-ance. Tremendous vivas went up from the multitude, -of at least 50,000 assembled assem-bled within its sacred walls. Stretching Stretch-ing forth his hands, there was an instant in-stant hush a death-like silence. The pontiff raised his eyes to heaven and stood for a few moments in prayer. He- was a venerable figure, 68 years old. His frail form, snowy-white hair, contrasted beautifully with his red and gold habiliments. Turning towards the papal altar over the confession of the apostles, he invoked and imparted the apostolic benediction. Then went up thunderous cries of "Live the pope; live Leo XIII; live the pope king." We desist here; the ceremonies and festivities that immediately followed would more than fill the columns of The Record. What we have written is sufficient for the day. Twenty-five long years have gone by since then. That frail, white-haired pontiff still lives, still moves, still labors, and still reigns as seemingly young today as then. He is a wondrous man, a marvelous mar-velous man; a wondrous pope, a marvelous mar-velous pontiff. May God spare him for years yet to come! Tomorrow, Friday, the 20th of February, 1903, is the silver anniversary of the election we have here recalled. |
