The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-07-21
Is Practically Acting Pope at
the Present Time
Some OF the Final Scenes In the Pom
tits Death Chamber Yes
terday.
PLAN IMPOSING CEREMONIES


begun for the last rites in honor OF
the holy father Yesterday before
death the condition OF his holiness va
ried from agony to coma. Wishing to
relieve him. DIR. Mszzoni suggested
that morphine should be administer
cd. but DR.. Lapponi did not agree,
fearing that the end might be quick.
ened
The final scene in the death cham.
Der was profoundly impressive. The
pope's deathbed was surrounded by
practically all the members of the
sacred college now in Rome and the
mole papal court.
DIR. Lapponi, who had his fingers on
the pope's pulse, felt IL 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
and his breathing became even more
difficult and there were strange rat
things In his throat.
Finslly the pope was asked to bless
his nephews and all the others pres
emit. lie attempted to raise himself
and the extreme emaeintion Of his per-
son. covered with fine night shirt,
was rendered more pronounced by the
surroundings. The portieres dividing
the room were drawn back to the ut.
most TO admit a. much air rs possible,
while the light altering through the
grten shades of the window rendered
his sunken eyes and snIunken features
absolutely CHASTITY.
II was a most solemn moment.
The head Of the ponttf 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 bonediction. the
kneeling assemblage being too earnest
" absorbed in deep aflliction, venera-
tion and weeping to even make q
movement.
The doctors again examined the dy-
ing holy father aud this time found
that he was 1T the extreme limit of
his powers of respiration. His eyes
began 10 become dull and clouded and
Leo XIII entered into the real agony
Of death. which Was recognized by all
present.
The last conscious act of the pontiff
was TO turn his eyes toward the great
crucifix on the wall, after which he
suffered from paroxysm Of choking,
during which he passed away.
Meantime events of momentous i'm
portance to Catholic Chrstendom
were occurring, The death Of Pope
Leo meant the passing of the supreme
power into the hands of the Sacred
College of Cardinals AS its temporary
custodian during the interregnum.
The perfect administrative maohin-
cry of the church provided against the
slightest interruption OF the governing
authority. As the senior member of
the So red College Cardinal Oreglia,
to VIII I'm the pope solemnly confidod
the interests Of the church, now be-
comes the exponent of the cardinals
until Pope Leo's successor shall lie
elected.
The cardinal is the exact antithesis
Of Pope Leo, having mono Of the late
pontiR's sympathetic and benevolent
characteristics. He comes from no.
BILE Piedmontese stock, and his nobili-
ty IL shown in his naughty and austere
bearing. He 10 not popular among
his colleagues or the Romans, and his
brusque manner has earned him thu
little of Piedmont Bear" He Is tai
an robust and his "A years are shown
only BY the whiteness Of his hair. His
face has the tawny hue of old parch-
ment and IL deeply lined. Despite his
susIsrity, the oardinsls learning anu
piety srs universally recognized.
This is the man who for the time
being is practically pope. II was he
who hsued the order to clear the vasi.
can and brought tranquility out of the