The Veto

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9, 2 March 1905, Page 2

The Veto

During the Conclave in 1903, far the election of a surcesnor 1o Pope Leo XIII., Cardinal Pu/yna, Bisliop of Cracow, staitled the assembled Princes of the Church by standing up in Ins place and dcclaunc himself commissioned to state that the Austiian Government ha<l veloed the cktliou of Cuiduul Kampulla !o tj.e throne. The whole ttnciod College piotested against this unwarrantable interference with the ficedom of election. Cardinal Ranvpfoll-a, although ,he joined in the protest, saul,< however, tnat unpleasant consequences might result to the Holy See if the Austrian Covernment weie lo ivit into execution the threats intimated in the veto. He therefore besought all those who had \ oted for him, or who intended to do so, to transfer their suffrages to some other person. Austria, Spain, and France were the count- les that claimed the privilege of vetoing each one candidate for the pa,pal office A recent Renter telegram from Vienna to the London press intimates, however, that this privilege — which is now an indefensible anachronism— is to he finally and permanently withdrawn. A Bull, it is said, has been fclrawn up containing the following rule :— ITo all Cardin-als it is- absolutely forbidden, under the penalty of being excluded from the Conclave, to he the bearer of a message of veto. Any Cardinal who Knows of the intention of the Sovereigns of Austria and Spain or of tihe Ruler o-f Fiance (the thiee countries who claim the light of veto) to obiect to the election of a member of the Sacred College, and communicates this intent-ion to his colleagues in Conclave, will undergo the same penalty '

'It is intimated,' says the ' Liverpool Catholic Times/ ' that, the Bull has not yet been transmitted to all the foreign Cardinals, and will be officially read only at the Conclave which will meet for the election of the present Pole's successor. It will then be officially intraduced into the constitution of the Conclave. The foreign Governments interested have not as ye,t received official news ot the action of the Holy Sec, but they have had hints of what has been done from their diplomatic agents at the Vatican. These gentlemen have, it lajppears, submitted to them ceitain proposals with a Mew tio maintaining Wic light of veto; but it is difficult to see how the proposals can become effective. Despite resistance the veto will have to be abandoned '