Election of the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Church considers dozens of manipulations in the election of the pope. Currently, the pope is chosen by a conclave. After the death of the pope, 10 days, usually appointed for the congress of cardinals, they are locked in a special room where no outsider can enter, not even a late cardinal. The method of electing the pope by lot is considered unlawful. Only cardinals should elect the pope; no one else is given this right. Each member must cast his vote. To what extent all possible obstacles are provided for here, we see from the categories of “obstacles” developed by the cardinals: 1st obstacle - a person may be very sick and unable to reach the throne, but can, however, leave his cell; 2nd - a person may be so weak that he cannot stand up, but can write; 3rd – cannot even write 1. There are several methods for electing popes. I. Electio per acclamationem. An indispensable condition for this method is that there are no preliminary meetings. The assembled cardinals first begin to discuss general provisions, what qualities the given time and state of affairs require from the pope. Someone expresses that, in his deep conviction, no one possesses these qualities to such an extent as the Reverend Cardinal So-and-so. And everyone agrees. The sick members of the conclave are then notified, and if there are no objections from any of them, then the person is considered elected. By this method, the election of popes is quite rare. II. Electio percompromissum. When election by the ordinary method fails (and this failure will be repeated up to 6 times), they sometimes resort to modus'y electionis per compromissum. Several cardinals are elected - no more than 8, no less than 2. If only 2 cardinals are elected, then they must indicate a candidate in the person of someone else; if there are more than 2 of them and if no special reservation has been made, then they can elect from among themselves. The passive right of election belongs to all male Catholics who are of years of understanding and common sense. Formally, it is not required that the candidate belong even only to the clergy. So in theory, but the fact is that from 1378, when a non-cardinal, the former bishop of the lord, Urban VI, was elected pope until the election of Leo XIII, for 500 years, all 55 popes were cardinals. III. Electio per scrutinium. It remains for me to speak of the usual method of electing Roman pontiffs. This method of election by tickets or balls is called per scrutinium, and is the constant method of electing Roman pontiffs to the present day. All cardinals were obliged to take part in it. The matter of election is complex. In the assembly of the entire conclave, three infirmarii [to collect the votes of sick cardinals] and three scrutators [to seize and read the cast ballots] are elected. Then they go to the place where the printed ballots 2 are prepared and write additional words into their printed text, which everyone writes in altered handwriting in view of the requirement of unconditional secrecy in the casting of votes. At the top of the bulletin, "nomen", between the printed words: "Ego" and "cardinalis" is written not the name of the cardinal, a member of the conclave, but only the cardinal title of the church where he is a cardinal; eg S. Caeciliae, S. Petri, S. Cracis, S. Sixti. Then, in the middle part of the ballot, there are printed election words: “Eligo in Summû Pontificê Revrdsmû Dmnû Meû D. Cardinalem” (i.e., I elect a great pontiff, the most pious lord of my lord cardinal), and a place is left where each member of the conclave - a cardinal writes the name of the cardinal whom he considers most worthy to occupy the papal see. At the bottom of the bulletin, called the “Signum,” each cardinal writes an arbitrary number, as well as the initial word of a prayer, also chosen arbitrarily. The Nomen and Signum, the upper and lower parts of the ballot, are closed by folding the edges and sealed in this manner: under the folded edges of the ballot, white wax is placed in the circles marked there and the seal is pressed on the side of the printed text, so that the letters of the seal stand out in relief on that side. The point, apparently, is that random letters are cut out on the seal and it seems incredible that 2-3 persons would cut out the same letters on their seals. To this must be added that it is also improbable that several cardinals would write the same number and the same word in the Signum. Any of these three arbitrary signs may coincide, but we cannot assume such a random coincidence and agreement in 3 cases when these signs are completely arbitrary. A sealed ballot appears this way only from the edges, and its middle is completely open 1). Once the ballot is ready, the cardinal raises it above his head and heads with it to the chapel. Taking full precaution that no one's keen eye should discern the name of the voter, everyone should cover the reverse side of the ballot with various decorations, thereby preventing the curious desire of some to know the name of the candidate for the papal throne. Approaching the completely open altar, the cardinal kneels and reads a secret prayer, and loudly pronounces the established form: “I bear witness by Christ the Lord, who is to judge me, that I am faithful to the election and that I will also act in accessu.” Then, in the presence of 3 scrutators, he places this ballot on a completely flat paten, so that the scrutators can see that he does not count two or three ballots, but one. Then the ballot is dropped from the paten into the bowl standing here. Precautionary measures are also being taken, and the scrutineers are eliminating those ballots that contain not one, but two cardinal names. But if it happened that someone made an attempt to announce that it was he who was voting for a given person, or if his ballot was poorly sealed, or the name of the bearer was visible in the world, then this ballot was considered invalid and was subject to unconditional destruction. If there were cardinals who were able to drag their feet to the chapel, but were not able to reach the altar, then the junior cardinal, having taken the oath, does the well-known procedure with the ballot of the infirm cardinal for him. If there happens to be a sick cardinal who would not even be able to drag himself to the chapel, then the cardinal infirmarius takes a special box, which is opened to him in the presence of everyone. Everyone makes sure that the box is empty, then the infirmarius locks it, and leaves the key in the altar on the throne, and carries the box itself to the sick cardinal, who lowers his ballot through the slot in the box. With this box, the infirmarian goes around to all the sick cardinals, who drop their ballots for the election of the pope into it. Now comes the ceremony of removing the ballots from both bowls. To do this, both bowls are transferred to the table, and one of the scrutators, armed with a needle with a white thread, puts his hand into the bowl, takes out a ballot and quietly reads the name of the cardinal for whom the vote was cast, and passes it from his hands to the hands of the second scrutator, and the latter to the third, and this one only proclaims the name of the cardinal on the taken out ballot. Then a protocol is drawn up, the ballot is pierced with a needle through the printed word “eligo”, threaded onto a thread and dropped into another bowl. The cardinals count the votes for those elected. In this case, there can be two outcomes: [either someone received the required number of votes], or suddenly it turns out that all the votes will scatter, and meanwhile a minimum of the votes of the entire conclave is required for the legal election of the pope: all cardinals receive 2-3 votes, and the result is zero. Next, a commission of 3 members is elected to check the activities of the scrutators, who read and proclaimed the names of those elected to the place of the pope. This commission verifies the vote count. If the count is correct, then the final act of election begins. The result should be such that if anyone receives 2/3 of the votes, he is recognized as elected. Attention is now drawn to whether exactly the votes were cast for a given cardinal, for example, tituli Sancti Crucis, [whether he cast a vote for himself]. If there are 52 cardinals in the conclave, then there will be 35 votes. Although this number of votes is completely sufficient for the legal election of a pope, serpentine wisdom suggests that meanness is possible here too: perhaps Cardinal tituli S. Crucis, who received 35 votes, cast a vote for himself, and the 35th belongs to him. Then they begin to open his ballot and find out for whom he cast his vote. How this is done is unknown. In all likelihood, they are checking the signature (signa) of his ballot. The cardinals directly invite the candidate for the papal throne to say which letters are carved on the seal of his ballot, and by letters they find the ballot that belongs to him. If there are two or three ballots with exactly the same printing letters, then they ask for the signum, the number and the word randomly inscribed on them. It seems completely impossible that there would be no difference here, if not in numbers, then in words. By this difference the ballot of a candidate for the papal throne is recognized. They open the end where “nomen” is indicated, and it turns out that he cast a vote for the cardinal tituli S. Caeciliae, and not for himself (tituli S. Crucis). Then it is absolutely indisputable that the 35th vote for him was cast by someone else. If it turns out that the cardinal will receive 2/3 of the votes †1, then this insulting ceremony is not resorted to on the simple assumption that at least he cast one vote for himself, nevertheless, 36 and without one extra vote constitutes 2 3 votes required for a valid election. If it turns out that none of the cardinals received the required number of votes - 35, but received, for example, 32, so that only three votes are missing for his election, then in this case it is possible that some cardinals who did not vote for him may change their minds and join the majority. Therefore, the old ballot is burned, they resort to a special type of election called “accessus” - accession (joining) to the majority. With the scrutinium itself, each cardinal takes an oath that he will act in complete good faith even with the accessus. Firstly, under accessus no one has the right to vote for the same person for whom the vote was cast under scrutinium. In the new ballots, instead of “eligo” (I elect), “accedo” (I begin) is printed. Anyone who does not want to change his voice writes: “accedo nemini” (I do not approach anyone). Secondly, with accessus you need to write a vote for the cardinal who received the majority of votes with scrutinium. All ballots that say “accedo nemini” do not change the election. It should be noted that the reception of votes is highly peculiar and it restricts the freedom of election. For example, a cardinal is convinced that cardinal tituli S. Sixti is worthy of election, at least more worthy than cardinal tituli S. Crucis, who, however, has a majority of votes. But he knows that Cardinal tituli S. Sixti is young or that there was some history with him. It is obvious that Cardinal tituli S. Sixti has no chance of being elected, although he is worthy; however, he does not choose him (Sixti), but must cast his vote for the Cardinal of the Holy Cross (Crucis). But if he knows that 15 or 20 votes were cast for Cardinal tituli S. Sixti by other cardinals, then he finds it possible to join in the election of Cardinal tituli S. Sixti. At the same time, he should have declared: “I refuse to vote in favor of Cardinal St. Cross and transfer it to Cardinal St. Sixta,” but this is not possible. He can only neutralize the vote previously cast for Cardinal tituli S. Crucis. When all the votes are collected, they count how many accessus were cast in favor of such and such. One cardinal may have more votes, but the result may be such that 2 cardinals receive the same number of votes. In this case, accessus came to nothing. After checking the accessus bulletins, the latter are burned and a new accessus is started. But if it turns out that one cardinal receives more votes, then it is checked whether he voted for himself, and if it turns out that he did not, then the advantage is recognized for him. The following phenomenon is possible: one cardinal will receive 32 votes, another will receive 14 votes, the remaining votes will be scattered in different ways. When they begin to check the accessus, the indifferent voices are put aside, and the consonant votes of the accessus are counted, and the comparison of seals begins. For example, the accessus bulletin print has the letters a. With. d., and in Signum the number 43 and the word Deus. They look for a ballot with the same seal of the first election - scrutinium, and it turns out that a vote was cast at accessus for Cardinal St. Cross, and with scrutinium - for Cardinal St. Sixta; therefore, the requirement is satisfied. Only after such a procedure is election possible and accessus is considered legal. So, 1) if the votes for scrutinium differ: 32 were cast for one cardinal, 12 for another, and the remaining 8 dispersed, then accessus is made; 2) if for a cardinal who has 32 votes with scrutinium, three more votes are cast with accessus, then 32†3 will be 35, and he is considered elected to the papal see; 3) but if suddenly, out of 32 cardinals who cast their vote at scrutinium for the cardinal of St. Sixta, 2 will cast a vote for Cardinal St. at accessus. Cross, and at the same time it turns out that cardinal tituli S. Sixti will receive 5 more votes and his total will be 35, then with accessus he has a majority of votes on his side. Although a change of mind even after this difficult and complex procedure is possible, it is already very difficult to do. No one can be elected against their will. The cardinal-elect is asked if he wishes to be ordained. If the latter agrees with reservations (there may be cardinals who have monastic rank, and election to the pope can bind their monastic conscience, and they can agree to the election if their monastic superiors agree to it), then the voice of all the cardinals, with tears in their eyes, forces the monk to humbly obey the election. After this, the chosen one is asked what name he wants to take, which, in essence, is not necessary, since he can leave his previous name (Marcellus, for example, left his previous name). In any case, the name of the elected pope is proclaimed, and then the elder deacon-cardinal announces the election to the people from the balcony, and the first veneration of the new pope begins. In the election of the pope, the spirit of unchurchliness, the spirit of distrust of each other, is in full force. But this is a tribal property of Western Europe, which has found refuge even in this holy cause. Wed. I. I. Sokolov, Election of patriarchs in Byzantium from the half of the 9th to the half of the 15th century (843–1453). Christ. Reading, 1907, March-July (and separately). His, The Election of the Alexandrian Patriarchs in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Christ. Reading, 1911, July-December A. B. See the image of the bulletin, for example, in A.P. Lopukhin, History of the Christian Church in the 19th century. T. 1. St. Petersburg. 1900, p. 41. A. B. You might be interested in: