The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-07-24

rising 10 TSIlUcI lIIcIi Ap1iiAS pdllC4iI
more comfortable, by the Sob Of the
ever faithful valet, Pho Contra, or the
murmured prayers Of Mgr P1fferi. the
nanal confessor. himself 81 years Of age,
who had to be assisted to the bedside.
Softly he recited the prayers for the
diving. the pontiff at n ap-
bearing to follow them as though con-
scious of what was Transporting, out he
could not speak. Then h dying pope
m something to himself, in
which those bending over him heard
the words Father and Mother
Finally the pope was asked 20 bless
his nephewS and all the others present.
He attempted to raise himself and the
extreme emaciation of his person, COW
cred with a fine night shirt, was ren-
dered more pronounced by the sur
rorndings. The portions dividing the
door were drawn back to the utmost,
TO admit as much air as possible, While
the light filtering through the green
shades OF the window rendered his
sunken eyes and shrunken eatures alb
solutely CHASTITY.
II was a most solemn moment. the
head of the pontiff with its white skull
cap no whittier than the fringe Of silvery |
hair. rising above the crimson coverlet,
his hand raised in the familiar gesture
of benediction. the kneeling assemblage
being too earnestly absorbed in deep
affection veneration n weeping to
even make a movement.
The last conscious act of the pontiff
was to turn his yes toward the great
crucifix on the wall, after which he suf-
fered from a paroXysm OF ch9klnS
during which he passed away.
Then the silence of the awe stricken
assemblage was broken by the sonor-
Gus. solemn voice of Cardinal Serafino
Vannutelli. the grand penltentlary. IN
toning the requiem aeternam crest
eternaD.
The occurrence of the death chamber
Immediately following the pope's de-
mise were of impressive Solemnlty. A
courier had beeen despatched to sum-
mon those who are delegated to per-
form the first religious offices toward
the dead pope and soon the chantlng OF
the Franciscan Monks was heard as,
two by two, in coarse brown habits
and with sandaled feet, they proceeded
to the room in which Leo lay dead.
From immemorial the Franciscan have
been p~ententiaries from St. Peters.
Following them came the noble guard,
TO watch over the pOntlffS BODY the
brilliancy of their uniforms contrastlnS
strikingly with the Sombre attire OF the
quantity robed Monks and the solemn
dignity of the itself. Inc ohly
sound heard was the measured chant
! lHS Ol liz I StilIlS VI
group of Monks kneeling beside the
couch of death.
The body lay exactly as it was at th1
of the pope's last expiring
breath. a white veil was thrown over
the lead mans face while awaiting the
solemn sentence of the camerlinsc
who was TO officially pronounce tbs
pontiff actually dead.
The gruesome details OF the en-
balming will not be performed until
after the lase of "a hours. Their
the body will be robed in full pontificia'
yestments for the imposing funeral GER
emonies. g.
By a strange coincidence, today Ii
the birthday of former Queen Marguer'
] tia, the mother of King Victor Emrnan
uel and flags had been put all over the
city in her honor, giving it a fesuV'
BY express desire, no sa
lutes were fired, as Is customary, 81
that the pohtiff might not be disturbed
especially as there : a fort near tn
vatican. When the King heard of thi
desire he had t~elegrarhlc orders sen
to all over the kingdom that no salute
I should be fired.
The only discordant note was strucl
by he socialist organ "Avenu" whic!
says:
We socialists, without disdain, bu
i with Indifference pass before tn
j corpse and await the new enemy"
:, The government has renewed tn
Il most energetic orders, premier Zanar
leila attending to the work personal
p ". 10 insure order ABOUT the Vaucal
but it cannot and will not take part
1 icipation directly in the mourning.
The death of the pope brings ahou
4 a vide spread change in all the ad
ministrative departments of the churc,
!, and considerable influence in question
OF church policy.
! There is a complete transforrnatio
: OF apostolic authority the death Of tn
pops meaning h nominal death OF a
p the officials rde III The ~prcpogan
da alone remains intact. as the pre-
Al feet and entire machinery of propo
ganda is unaffected.
Fl Among the international question
4 which may be affected by the deaf.
q of the pope are those connected Wit
the suppression OF religious orders j
France and the charge Of clergy i
the new Spanish-American possession
Among vatican officials. the Philiu
pine question involving transfers frol
the Spanish to the American hierach
and the elIIlll4dl-OlLS VI liz II-oIS.
> regarded as one Of the most impoI
= tance. The present Philippine polio
had the hearty approval OF Leo XII
: and there is no reason 10 believe Jha
it Will be changed.
The relations between the Italia
government and the vatican continU
10 be serious problems. Although II
, temporal authority Of the papacy te
: minated eight years before Leo XII
became pope, he steadfastly maintain
ed the principle of temporal power ar
lost no opportunity to secure its re
s. toration.