The Van Buren press., 1896-06-13

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Death Of the PoHfir.

Death Of the Ponfir.
When the death 0f t2ss FsagafFsg pop
drzmK near. the cardinal secretary Q
srase In FORMS tiae dean Of the Sacred COZ
ge,re- no summons his colleagues To tins
residence Of The dying man; the card
tusl vicar issues orders that prayers b.
offered FIN the Roman chuchesi sNs
cardinal penitentiary attends Tie bed
aide of the pope, 10 whom the sacf1s'af
Of the p0pe's chapel administers e1
r-arHe mnctiOm. As soon as Enag ~
after death has occurred. the body mus
be formally recognized by The cardina
eamerlfngo. who, In obedience to al
amegcuE CUSTOM first knocks thrice OK
the door Of The bed-chamber 6ettins
NJ answer. he enters. and taps thrice
with a silver naallet on the dead mans
forehead. and thrice calls him By name
No response coming. the earnerIingo de
elsres that The pope il dead. Thence
forth the eameFlingo = the most IN
g.ortans Of The cardinals. having charge
Of the preparations for the conelaFe. o
the government Of the palace. and o.
the transactions with the representa-
Tires Of foreign powers. 70 whom ne
officially announces the Pope's death
The papal guard Of Swiss halberdie1
attends him when he goes ont; hin
srTns are stamped on the medal Of fht
vacant see; he takes an inventory Of ttlf
property in the palace, and affixes seal
20 the dead pontiffzs papers. But II
order 10 prevent him from oFerstepPins
his authority the Sacred college ap
points three eardinals-a bishop. t
priest, and a deacon-who are called
The heads Of the orders, and whose bust
regs 1t il to oversee his acts. They serve
for three days, being replaced By Others
chosen in rotation.
Meanwhile the great bell Of the CAPT
.oI, the so-called ~Paterine.a has tollee
the news to the citizens in Rome. Form.
eriV this was the signal for unlocking
the jails and for unrestrained disorders
Brokers used 10 set up booths where
pools. as at horse race. were sold OF
the probable next pope. enormous STUNT
being squandered in this species o.
gambling; more recently that scaHdE
has been less open. Every one is OF
tiptoe with excitement: churchmen ar
well as laynen display an eagerness oUi
Of tune with the grief in which tbs
church IS officially declared to b'
plunged.
For during the norendial, or nine
days succeeding the pope's death, the
celebration OF his obsequies and the
mourning for his loss are supposed II
sbsarb universal attention. His body
must first be embalmed and then at.
tired in funeral apparel. When masseg
have been said over II in the presence OF
| the cardinals. it Is removed to ST. Pet
er'ss where.oB a magnificent catafalque
II lies IN state. Finally, on the ninth
day, the public funeral-one of the
great pageants ofthe world-takesp place
| after which the body is eofflned and laid
away in the temporary receiving tomb
10 rest there until, when the next pop
dies. it IS lowered into the crypt of St
Peters for permanent burial
Needless TO say. the funeral cere
MONIES of the noyendial cause no abate
ment IN the preparation for the con
clave. The day after the pope dies as
many cardinals as happen to be in
| Rome meet TO confer. The oldest oi
their number, the dean of the college
presides; they swear to preserve tn.
utmost secrecy concerning all Their
proceedings; they renew their oaths OF
| allegiance 10 the holy see, binding
| themselves 10 defend and guard the
| rights, prerogatives and temporal pos
sessions Of the church (up to the effusior
of blood: then they discuss question.
Of immediate urgency, listen TO tn,
reading of the laws governing the cleo
| ton, and hear the camerlingo's report
| rf his business. The congregation re
assemblies each day, its numbers being
constantly increased by the arrival o
cardinals from a distance. William r
| Thayer, in Century.