Papal conclave, 1878
Encyclopedia
The Papal conclave of 1878 resulted from the death of Pope Pius IX
in the Apostolic Palace
in the Vatican
on 7 February 1878. The conclave occurred in circumstances different from those of any previous conclave.
The unique circumstances were
religious and political views, and would continue to refuse to accept Italy's Law of Guarantees
guaranteeing the pope religious liberty in the Kingdom of Italy? Or should they turn away from the policies of Pius IX and choose a more liberal pope who could work for reconciliation with the King of Italy? Would choosing such a policy be seen as a betrayal of Pius IX, the self-proclaimed "Prisoner in the Vatican"?
Other broader issues included
Though not explicitly spelt out, another issue was raised by the length of Pope Pius' reign. Should they elect another young pope who might reign for decades, or should they go for an older man and so a shorter reign?
. However the Camerlengo, Gioachino Pecci, advocated otherwise, with an initial vote among cardinals to move to Spain being overturned in a later vote. The conclave finally assembled in the Sistine Chapel
in the Vatican
on 18 February 1878.
Unusually for conclaves, the voting patterns became public.
of Pope Leo XIII
, was a victory for the liberals. Pecci had been an effective bishop whose diocese had moved from the Papal States to the Kingdom of Italy successfully, without Church problems. He was seen as a diplomatic pragmatist with the tact and flexibility opponents of the previous pope believed Pius IX lacked. At 68 Leo was also young enough to do the job without hindrance of health problems, but old enough to offer the prospect of a relatively short reign of ten to fifteen years. Whereas Pius IX was seen as having isolated the Church from international opinion (his locking of Jews into ghetto
s and treatment of minorities had been condemned by world leaders such as William Ewart Gladstone
), Leo was seen as an "internationalist" who could earn back the Vatican some international respect.
Pope Leo came to be seen as embodying a dramatic difference to the papacy of Pope Pius. In one area however they were similar. Though always seemingly in poor health and delicate he reigned for an unexpected 25 years, becoming the third longest-reigning pope in history (until his record was surpassed by Pope John Paul II
on March 14, 2004). Far from being a short reigned pope, Leo surprised all by living to the age of 93, dying 20 July 1903, making him the oldest Pope at the time of his passing.
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
in the Apostolic Palace
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
in the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
on 7 February 1878. The conclave occurred in circumstances different from those of any previous conclave.
Unique circumstances
- the longest reign of any other popePopeThe Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
since Saint PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, meant that Pius IX had had a greater opportunity than any pope in history to shape the College of CardinalsCollege of CardinalsThe College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
by selecting people who shared his world and religious vision.
- the first conclave in which the person selected would reign as pope but not as sovereign of the Papal StatesPapal StatesThe Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
, the latter having been swept away by the unification of Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (1861–1946)The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
in 1870.
- a change of venue, as the previous venue used in most papal conclaves in the 19th century, the former papal residence, the Quirinal PalaceQuirinal PalaceThe Quirinal Palace is a historical building in Rome, Italy, the current official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. It is located on the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome...
, was no longer in papal ownership and was now the palace of Umberto IUmberto I of ItalyUmberto I or Humbert I , nicknamed the Good , was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in far-left circles, especially among anarchists, because of his conservatism and support of the Bava-Beccaris massacre in Milan...
, King of Italy.
Questions facing the cardinals
When the cardinals assembled, they faced a dilemma. Should they choose a pope who would continue to espouse Pius IX's reactionaryReactionary
The term reactionary refers to viewpoints that seek to return to a previous state in a society. The term is meant to describe one end of a political spectrum whose opposite pole is "radical". While it has not been generally considered a term of praise it has been adopted as a self-description by...
religious and political views, and would continue to refuse to accept Italy's Law of Guarantees
Law of Guarantees
After the occupation of the Papal States in 1870, Italy's Law of Guarantees accorded the Pope certain honors and privileges similar to those enjoyed by the King of Italy, including the right to send and receive ambassadors who would have full diplomatic immunity, just as if he still had temporal...
guaranteeing the pope religious liberty in the Kingdom of Italy? Or should they turn away from the policies of Pius IX and choose a more liberal pope who could work for reconciliation with the King of Italy? Would choosing such a policy be seen as a betrayal of Pius IX, the self-proclaimed "Prisoner in the Vatican"?
Other broader issues included
- Church-state relations in Italy, the Third French Republic, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - the heresyHeresyHeresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
Pope Leo XIII later called AmericanismAmericanism (heresy)Coined in the nineteenth century, in Roman Catholic use the term Americanism referred to a group of related heresies which were defined as the endorsement of the separation of church and state... - divisions in the Church caused by the proclamation of Papal InfallibilityPapal infallibilityPapal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
by the First Vatican CouncilFirst Vatican CouncilThe First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned... - the status of the First Vatican CouncilFirst Vatican CouncilThe First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
, which had been halted after the Italian 'liberation' of Rome but never wound up.
Though not explicitly spelt out, another issue was raised by the length of Pope Pius' reign. Should they elect another young pope who might reign for decades, or should they go for an older man and so a shorter reign?
Conclave
With what many Churchmen believed was the "unstable" and "anti-Catholic" situation in a Rome that was no longer controlled by the Church, some cardinals, notably Cardinal Manning, Archbishop of Westminster, urged that the conclave be moved outside Rome, perhaps even out of Italy to Spain under the RestorationSpain under the Restoration
The Restoration was the name given to the period that began on December 29, 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended with the restoration of Alfonso XII to the throne after a coup d'état by Martinez Campos, and ended on April 14, 1931 with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic.After...
. However the Camerlengo, Gioachino Pecci, advocated otherwise, with an initial vote among cardinals to move to Spain being overturned in a later vote. The conclave finally assembled in the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
in the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
on 18 February 1878.
Unusually for conclaves, the voting patterns became public.
Ballot 1 (morning 19 Feb)
On the first ballot, held on the morning of the 19 February the votes were- Gioachino Pecci 19 votes
- Luigi BilioLuigi BilioLuigi Maria Bilio B was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who among other things was Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office.Luigi Maria Bilio was born in Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy...
6 votes - Alessandro Franchi 4 votes
Result, implications, and aftermath
The election of Cardinal Pecci, who took the regnal nameRegnal name
A regnal name, or reign name, is a formal name used by some monarchs and popes during their reigns. Since medieval times, monarchs have frequently chosen to use a name different from their own personal name when they inherit a throne....
of Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
, was a victory for the liberals. Pecci had been an effective bishop whose diocese had moved from the Papal States to the Kingdom of Italy successfully, without Church problems. He was seen as a diplomatic pragmatist with the tact and flexibility opponents of the previous pope believed Pius IX lacked. At 68 Leo was also young enough to do the job without hindrance of health problems, but old enough to offer the prospect of a relatively short reign of ten to fifteen years. Whereas Pius IX was seen as having isolated the Church from international opinion (his locking of Jews into ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
s and treatment of minorities had been condemned by world leaders such as William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
), Leo was seen as an "internationalist" who could earn back the Vatican some international respect.
Pope Leo came to be seen as embodying a dramatic difference to the papacy of Pope Pius. In one area however they were similar. Though always seemingly in poor health and delicate he reigned for an unexpected 25 years, becoming the third longest-reigning pope in history (until his record was surpassed by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on March 14, 2004). Far from being a short reigned pope, Leo surprised all by living to the age of 93, dying 20 July 1903, making him the oldest Pope at the time of his passing.
Conclave factfile
- Dates: 18 February - 20 February 1878
- Location: Sistine ChapelSistine ChapelSistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
in the Vatican
- Arrived late: 2 cardinals
- Paul Cullen, Archbishop of DublinArchbishop of Dublin (Roman Catholic)The Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Archdiocese of Dublin. The Church of Ireland has a similar role, heading the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. In both cases, the Archbishop is also Primate of Ireland...
(Primate of IrelandPrimate of IrelandThe Primacy of Ireland was historically disputed between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin until finally settled by Pope Innocent VI. Primate is a title of honour denoting ceremonial precedence in the Church, and in the Middle Ages there was an intense rivalry between the two...
) - John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York (United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)
- Paul Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin
- Unavailable through ill-health:
- Godefroy Brossais-Saint-Marc, Archbishop of Rennes (France)
- Present included : (candidates in bold italics)
- Luigi Amat di San Filippo e SorsoLuigi Amat di San Filippo e SorsoLuigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso was the dean of the College of Cardinals during the last part of the record long reign of Pope Pius IX....
Dean of the College of CardinalsDean of the College of CardinalsThe Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church, and as such always holds the rank of Cardinal Bishop. The Dean is not necessarily the longest-serving member of the whole College... - Luigi BilioLuigi BilioLuigi Maria Bilio B was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who among other things was Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office.Luigi Maria Bilio was born in Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy...
, Bishop of Sabina - Friedrich Johannes Jacob Celestin von SchwarzenbergFriedrich Johannes Jacob Celestin von SchwarzenbergFriedrich Johannes Jacob Celestin von Schwarzenberg, sometimes Friedrich Johannes Joseph Schwarzenberg or in Czech Bedřich Schwarzenberg was a Catholic Cardinal of the nineteenth century in Austria and the Kingdom of Bohemia.He was the youngest child of John Joseph, Prince of Schwarzenberg and of...
, Prince-Archbishop of PragueArchbishop of PragueThe following is a list of bishops and archbishops of Prague. The bishopric of Prague was established in 973, and elevated to an archbishopric on 30 April 1344. The today's Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Prague is the continual successor of the bishoprie established in 973...
(Bohemia, part of Austria-HungaryAustria-HungaryAustria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
) - Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi PecciPope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
, Camerlengo (Papal Chamberlain), Bishop of Perugia (Italy) - Lucien-Louis-Joseph-Napoleon Bonaparte
- Alessandro Franchi
- René-François Régnier, Archbishop of Cambrai (FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Joseph-Hippolyte GuibertJoseph-Hippolyte GuibertJoseph-Hippolyte Guibert was a French Catholic Archbishop of Paris and Cardinal.He was bishop of Viviers in 1842, and archbishop of Tours in 1857.-External links:*...
, Archbishop of ParisArchbishop of ParisThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris is one of twenty-three archdioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created in the 3rd century by St. Denis and corresponded with the Civitas Parisiorum; it was elevated to an archdiocese on...
(France) - Mieczysław Halka Ledóchowski, Archbishop of Gnesen and Posen, (PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, part of the Russian EmpireRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
). - Henry Edward Manning, Archbishop of WestminsterArchbishop of WestminsterThe Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...
(Head of the Catholic Church in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
& WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
). - Victor-Auguste-Isidor DeschampsVictor-Auguste-Isidor DeschampsVictor Augustin Isidore Dechamps was a Belgian Archbishop of Mechlin, Cardinal and Primate of Belgium....
, Archbishop of Mechelen (BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
). - Johann Rudolf KutschkerJohann Rudolf KutschkerJohann Baptist Rudolph Kutschker was an Austrian Cardinal .Johann Rudolf Kutschker was born in Seifersdorf , Austrian Silesia...
, Archbishop of ViennaArchbishop of ViennaThe Archbishop of Vienna is the prelate of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna who is concurrently the metropolitan bishop of its ecclesiastical province which includes the dioceses of Eisenstadt, Linz and St. Pölten....
, Austria-HungaryAustria-HungaryAustria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
- Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso
| LENGTH OF CONCLAVE | 2 days |
|---|---|
| NUMBER OF BALLOTS | 3 |
| ELECTORS | 64 |
| Absent | 3 |
| Present | 61 |
| Africa | 0 |
| Latin America | 0 |
| North America | 0 |
| Asia | 0 |
| Europe | 61 |
| Oceania | 0 |
| Mid-East | 0 |
| Italians | 40 |
| VETO USED? | no |
| DECEASED POPE | PIUS IX (1846-1878) |
| NEW POPE | LEO XIII (1878-1903) |
External links
Trivia
Given that the 1878 conclave was preceded by the longest papal reign in history and ushered in the third longest reign in history, it is worth noting the four participating cardinals for whom this was not the only conclave in which they participated:Also participated in 1846 conclave
- Luigi Amat di San Filippo e Sorso
- Fabio Maria AsquiniFabio Maria AsquiniFabio Maria Asquini was a Catholic Cardinal and was Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Induglences and Sacred Relics and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals.-Personal life:...
- Domenico Carafa della Spina di TraettoDomenico Carafa della Spina di TraettoDomenico Cardinal Carafa della Spina di Traetto was a Catholic Cardinal, Archbishop of Benevento and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals.-Personal life:Carafa was born in Naples, Italy on 12 July 1805...