Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1903-07-23
Pope Leo XIII Dies.


1903, after an illness Of 16 days.
His last moments were comparative.
ly peaceful and painless and were
preceded by period az insensibiIi-
~.
Around the bedside % the final
moment we're the cardinals. the rel
atives and members Of The Papal
court. Before lapsing into uncon.
seriousness. the dying pontiff feebly
moved his lips, his last articulate
words being those used In bestow-
ing a benvdiction.
Gradually the shadow Of death
spread over him, his extremities be-
came cold, his features assumed the
fixed rigidity of death. and DIR. lap
poni noted his last fiuttering heart
beats, which gradually became slow
er and slower until they finally stop
ped.
The whole day was one OF contin-
ual emotion, one distracting scene
following another. When ii became
known, shortly before p MI, that
the Pope's Journey through the dark
valley was almost finished. Cardinal
Vannutelli hurried again 10 bis bed
side and was followed shortly after
ward by what is called In Vatican
phraseology the ''Papal secret fami-
ly" and the noble family" besides
the personal family, including the
late Pope's nephews, Counts Ludo-
vico, Ricardo and Camille, and also
all the Cardinals of the Vatican, who
afterward retired to the adjoining
library after they had been allowed
to kiss the Pontiff's hand.
The aged Pontiff was lying prone
and unconscious, propped up, to as
sist him in breathing, one hand laid
on the red silk coverlet, the heavy
pontifical ring being in danger of
falling from the shrunken finger,
while the other hand clutched his
rosary and crucifix. Though he was
entirely unconscious, CLEANS of in
telligence seemed to flicker across
the worn face, and the shadow of a
smile fell over the pallid lips when
the nephews passed and reverently
knelt and kissed the Pope's hand.
No word was spoken.
The only sound which broke the
silence of the death room was the
rattle of the arms of the arms of the
Noble Guard, who were stationed at
every door of the Pontiff's private
apartments, it being their privilege
and right under the circumstances
to take possession of the apartments
and guard the body of the Pope.
The final scene in the death cham
Der was profoundly impressive. The
Pope's death having been expected
since noon, his deathbed was sur
rounded by practically all the men,
bers of the Sacred College now in
Rome and the whole Papal Court,
while the Pontiff's nephews remain
ed in the Papal library until they
received word from the doctors which
announced that his last expiring
breath was approaching. Then they
moved silently within thedeath cham
Der, some standing, some kneeling,
all awaiting the moment of dissolu-
ton.
In the ante-chamber had assem-
bled the high ecclesiastics, members
o. the diplomatic corps and repre-
sentatives of the Papal aristocracy.
Profound silence reigned in the
Pope's bedroom, only broken by the
doctors rising to make their expir-
ing patient more comfortable; by
the sobs of the ever-faithful valet,
Pho Contra, or the murmured prayers
of Mgr. Pifferi. the Papal confessor,
himself "a years of age, who had to
be assisted to the bedside.
Softly he recited the prayers for
the dying, the Pontiff at one moment
appearing to follow them as though
conscious of what was transpiring,
but he could not speak. Then the
dying Pope murmured something TO
himself, in which those bending
over him heard the words Father"
and Mother.
DIR. Lapponi, hoalmost constant
ly had his fingers on the Pope's
pulse, felt it grow gradually weaker
and weaker. and at the same time
the Pontiff's extremities began to
get cold, his lips became blue, his
eyes sank more deeply into the head,
his breathing became even more
difficult, and there were strange
ratings in his throat.
Finally the Pope was asked TO
bless his nephews and all the others
present. He attempted 70 raise
himself, and the extreme emaciation
Of his person, covered with fine
nightshirt, was rendered more pro-
nounced by the surroundings. The