The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-07-07
POPE CLINGS TO life.
But His Death, it is Thought, is
Very Near.
The Solemn and Gorgeous Ceremony
. of Administering the Last Sacra- :.
ment Took Place at the Bed 80
:, side of the Pontiff. -.


r Rome, Jthy 6.-+41ngt these days; when
isthe life of the Fveneral pontiff,s Pope !!
tIeo, hangs by thread, the. excite
lment and perturbation which prevails
within the vatican is, intense. While ]
Ifthe iIlustrious patient lies in al-qaiet q
tsclambef 7assiduouslyo and affection.
Fatefy watched and attended byS'his
l,fayorite physician, Dr., Lapponi, and I
This trusted valet, Piocentra, the rest
I'of the vast palace lis in a state of
continual unrest. kilograms are fol- q
flowing EACH other in quick success
sion from foreign powers; high
church digntaries or individuals, and
|.are being read and answered by a
busy staff of secretaries. Carriages
are driving up necessarily to the
/ court CT ST. Damaso, in which the
/ apartments of the pope open. .1si@ol'{
The exact definition of the Pope's
illness is senile adynamic pneumonia,
but his holiness has not the least idea
that he is attacked by any organic
disease. ffi-fr -,-.,.r-,. s.r ...--e- -.
During the afternoon, the strength
of the pontiff began to fail him SO
rapidly and his condition became SO
critical that it appeared that only
few hours of his life remained to
him 1t was, therefore, deemed wise
| to advise him of his grave condition,
and this was done with tender pre-
caution. Pope Leo was thus prepared
for his last communion, which was
administered Sunday night with the
participation of all the cardinals now
in Rome and the whole of the ponti-
fetal court. ...;..e
The solemn yet gorgeous ceremony
of administering the last sacrament
| took place at the bedside of Pope Leo.
The central figure was the dying pom
tiff, whose long life's journey is nearly
over, calmly preparing to enter the
dark valley. His pale and emaciated
face, almost as white as the pillows
on which it rested, showed little sign
| Of life except the keen, glittering eyes,
always his most striking feature, :.
Around the bed were grouped the
noble guards in their glittering uni
forms, the knights of the cloak and
swords in their picturesque medieval
costurnesof black with white ruffs. %
| cardinals, allsthe members of the sa-
| cred college who are present in Rome,
stately and venerable figures in their
sweeping crimson robes; the whole
| forming a scene Of rich, yet subdued,
| coioring. fit subject for the pencil Of
Rembrandt. The whole of what IS
| called the pontifcal family, headed By
| Cardinal sRampolla and INCLUDING all
the private chamberlains, were there.
Nearest to the bed stood the impOs-
ing, tall figure of the Cardinal Grant
Penitentiary, X Sefaiino1A Vannutteili,
| with the pope's .confessor,, to hear the
| last confession of the departing pom
tiff Then the priest apostolic ap-
preached bearing the vasticum to give
the last communion and another, the
! extreme JUNCTION, assisted by the grand
penitentiary- Pope Leo feebly recited
| the confession of faith, as formulated
| by the council of Trent, and finally the
/ words of absolution and the formula
| of indulgence in Articulo Mortis were
|
pe1iitentiary The heads of the great.
religious orders who were present
| granted the pope the special indlil-
gences which they have the privilege
| of comforting Then came the touch-
ing prayers for passing soul and
part of the gospel, the Lords passion.
| AS the last words died away, all fell
i Th0;r hn unntif roicinU
| his almost transparent fingersf with 2
| feeble effort, pronounced in scarcely
audible words his benediction on the
sacred college and on all present and
| then sank back on the pillows. There
| was scarcely a fearless eye in the
whole assemblage. G.5i 80 -faag ;, {
IAt s a. m: Monday, though lowering.
on the brink of death, the life of the
pontiff was still prolonged by means
Of strong stimulants and concentrated
nourishment, and while he is still bare
| ly alive his wonderful vitality may
| again resist and conquer the attack OF
this illness. Late Sunday evening aft
er the excitement of the ceremony OF
the last .sacraments was over, the pope.
seemed less restless, partly soothedl
by the. religious service and partly by
a dose of Choral, which was given to
him in considerable quantity.
| The pontiff is lying on a small bed
drawn up to a window overlooking the
piazza of st. Peters, The only picture
in the room is an antique madonnal
and the sole ornament a great ivory
crueifiExssf 6 q -EIa1l&Z IzgTIA A
a>a Turks and Buisariansi Fight. n