The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-18
THE BURIAL OF A POPE.
Impressive Ceremonies That Follow
the Death of POntiG.

William r. Thayer in the Century
When the death of the reigning pope
draws near, the cardinal secretary of state
informs the dean of the sacred college,
who summons his colleague to the resi-
dence of the dying man; the cardinal vi
car issues orders that prayers be offered in
the Roman churches; the cardinal peni-
Tertiary attends the bedside of the pope,
to whom the sacristan of the popes cha
pei administers extreme JUNCTION AS soon
as may be after death has occurred the
body must be formally recognized by the
cardinal camerlingo. who, in obedience to
an ancient custom, first knocks thrice
on the door of the bed-chamber Getting
no answer, he enters. and taps thrice with
a silver mallet on the dead mans fore
head and thrice calls him by name. No
that the pope is dead. ThencefOrth the
camer.ingo is the most important of the
cardinals having charge Of the prepare
tons Tor the cOnclaVe, or the government
of the palace, and of the transactions WITH
the representatives of foreign powers, TO
whom he officially announces the pope
death; the papal guard of Swiss halber-
diers attends HIM when he goes out; his
arms are stamped on the medal of the
vacant see; he takes an inventory Of the
property in the palace, and alfixes seals
to the dead pontiff's papers. But in order
to prevent him from overstepping his au-
thority the sacred college appoints three
GdIQludlS-1 DlSibIlt Il priest ana a utd-
con-wno are called the heads of the or
ders, and whose business it IS to oversee
his acts. They serve for three days, being
replaced by others chosen. in rotation.
Meanwhile the great bell of the capitol,
the so-called "Paterine," has tolled the
news TO the citizens in Rome Formerly
this was the signal for unlocking the jails
and for unrestrained disorders. Brokers
used to set up booths where pools, as at
a horse race, were sold on the probable
next pope, enormous sums being squan-
afatE N.N
recently that scandal has been less open.
Every one is on tiptOe with excitement:
churchmen as well as laymen display an
eagerness out of tune with the grief in
which the church is officially declared to
be plunged.
For during the novendial, or nine days
succeeding the popes death the celehra-
ton of his Obsequies and the mourning
for his loss are supposed to absorb un.Ver-
sal attention. His body must first be en-
balmed and then attred I'm funeral ap-
parel. When masses have been said over
it in the presence Of the cardinals 10 IS
removed to St. Peters, where, on a mag
nifcent catafalque, it lies in state. Finally
on the ninth day, the public funeral-one
Of the great pageants of the World-takes
place, after which the body is cofined and
laid away in the temporary receiving tomb
to rest there until when the next pCDe
dies, it is lowered into the crypt of ST.
Peters for permanent burial
Needless TO say, the funeral ceremonies
of the noVendial cause no abatement in the
preparation for the conclave The day
after the pope dies as many cardinals as
happen to be in Rome meet to confer The
oldest of their number, the dean of the
college, presides; they swear to preserve
the utmost secrecy concerning all their
proceedings; they renew their oaths Of
allegiance to the holy see binding them
selves to defnd and guard the rights, pre-
negatives and temporal possessions Of the
church Cup to the effusion of blood; then
they discuss questions Of immediate urgen-
cy, listen to the reading of laws governing
the election, and hear the camerlingos re-
port of his business. The congregation re-
assemblies each day, its numbers being
constantly increased by the arrival Of
cardinals from a distance.