Papal conclave, 1914
The Papal conclave of 1914 was held to choose a successor Pope Pius X, who had died in the Vatican on 20 August 1914.
Political context
With Europe facing World War I whoever was selected would face the difficulty of leading the Holy See through the war to end all wars, in which Catholic Belgium and France were attacked by Protestant Germany, which was supported by Catholic Austria while the Protestant United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (including Catholic Ireland) and Russian Orthodox Russia sided with France. Critics wondered whether the Holy See should remain neutral or whether it should assume a position of moral leadership by casting public judgments on the behaviour of the various combatants. The conclave brought together cardinals from the combatant nations, including Károl Cardinal von Hörnig from Austria-Hungary Louis-Henri Cardinal Luçon from France, Felix Cardinal von Hartmann from Germany and two from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Francis Cardinal Bourne (from England & Wales) and Michael Cardinal Logue (from Ireland).
Veto abolished
After the lying-in-state and funeral of the popular but controversial Pope Pius X, cardinals assembled for the conclave at the end of August 1914. One major difference with earlier conclaves was that this time no secular monarch possessed a veto over whomever the cardinals could select as pope. For the first time in centuries the cardinals alone would make the choice.
New pope The conclave itself itself assembled in the Sistine Chapel on 31 August. On 3 September 1914, on the tenth ballot, Giacomo Cardinal della Chiesa, Archbishop of Bologna in Italy was elected pope and took the name Pope Benedict XV.
Conclave factfile - Dates: Conclave of August 31 - September 3, 1914
- Location: Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
- Arrived late: 3 cardinals
- *William Henry Cardinal O'Connell, Archbishop of Boston
- *James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore
- *Louis-Nazaire Cardinal Bégin, Archbishop of Québec)
- Unavailable through ill-health: 5 cardinals (including 2 from Austria-Hungary.)
- Present included :
- *Francis Cardinal Bourne Archbishop of Westminster (United Kingdom)
- *Joaquim Arcoverde Cardinal de Albuquerque Cavalcanti, Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- *Aristide Cardinal Cavallari, Patriarch of Venice (Italy)
- *Andrea Cardinal Ferrari, Archbishop of Milan (Italy)
- *Felix Cardinal von Hartmann, Archbishop of Cologne (Germany)
- *Károl Cardinal von Hörnig, Bishop of Veszprém (Austria-Hungary)
- *Louis-Henri Cardinal Luçon, Archbishop of Reims, (France)
- *Michael Cardinal Logue, Archbishop of Armagh (Ireland)
- *Desiré Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Malines (Belgium)
- *Rafael Merry del Val y Zulueta, Cardinal Secretary of State (Italy)
- *John Murphy Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York (United States)
- *Girolamo Maria Cardinal Gotti, Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
- *Agostino Cardinal Richelmy, Archbishop of Turin (Italy)
- *Serafino Cardinal Vannutelli, Dean of the College of Cardinals
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