BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, October 8, 1823

Today’s Wiener Zeitung announces at 938 that after a month of deliberations, the papal conclave has finally elected a new pope.

“News from Rome on September 28 reports that on the day mentioned, His Eminence Cardinal Anibale della Genga (born August 2, 1760) has been elected Pope, and the name Leo XII adopted.”

This story in the Wiener Zeitung is lacking in detail, but the conclave in fact elected Genga as a compromise candidate, since they were desperate to reach a decision after being sequestered and deliberating for a month. While reactionary and thus acceptable to the Emperor of Austria, Genga was sickly and was not expected to live long; in fact there was serious doubt he would live long enough to be crowned. The joke was on the conclave, for despite his apparent ill health Leo XII reigned for six years, until 1829.