Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-22
THE CARDINALS ASSEMBLE
To Prepare for the Coming ConcIave-
They View the Remains.

| Rome, July 21.-The first of those
| grand and unique ceremonies which fol-
low the demise of a Pope, began Tues
day morning and although private, il
was conducted with great pomp and was
most impressive. All the cardinals
| present in Rome numbering 20 assem-
bled at the apostolic palace to view the
| body of Leo XIII, and to officially pro-
nounce him dead. Cardinal Oreglia
dean of the Sacred College, and Gamer
| lengo of the Holy Roman church, had
| to nut aside his cardinals robes, a sign
of deep mourning, and was gowned en-
| tirely in violet. The other cardinals
wore crimson robes with violet collars,
indicative of mourning.
| Within the death chamber the body
| lay with a white veil over the face, on
| the bed, surrounded by Franciscan pen
itentiaries, while outside the Noble
Guard maintained a solemn vigil. The
| profound silence was only broken by
the chanting of prayers for the dead.
Into this solemn presence came the
mourning procession of cardinals who
| lneeling, silently, prayed.
Then the prelates reVerently looked
on while Cardinal Oreglia approached
| the remains.
For Tuesday mornings function the
| Pope's bedroom had been transformed
into q kind of mortuary chapel with
the altar at one end, having in the CEN
ter a crucifix surrounded by six lighted
| candles Four candles stood at the bed
| corners
| The white veil was then removed
| from the dead mans face, revealing the
/ % like features 0f the 6pn1rtp6
Pope, rendered sharper and more trans
parent by death. So lifelike was the
body that those present half expected
Leo to raise his hand in the familiar
gesture of blessing.
A moment of GREATNESS silence en-
sued and then the cardinal camerlengo,
! taking the aspersorium sprinkled the
late Pontiff with holy water and said
| in firm voice:
| 'Gioacchino" (the Christian name of
| the deceased holy father.
| W hen there was no answer the same
word was repeated three times, louder
and louder, after which, turning to the
| knceling cardinals, the camerlengo SOL
EMMY announced:
Papa we're mortuus est" CThe Pope
is really dead.
| = Ine NOItS were uttered There arose
from the kneeling cardinals sigh, like
that of the wind in the trees at night
a tribute paid to the late Pontiff by
! these princely heads of the church.
After this, in voices trembling with
| emotion, the ranking cardinals recited
the De Profundis. gave absolution and
sprinkled the body with holy water.
| Following the ceremony of the recog-
+ milton of the death of the Pontiff by
the Sacred College came another shorter
| but no less significant and symbolic.
| On Leo's finger was the famous fisher
mans ring which the camerlengo with
a whispered PRAYER drew gently off and
which. later, will be broken in the pres
sence of the cardinals. reset and pres
| ented to the new Pope when he is elect
| ed.
The ring is of very great antiquity
1t is even said to have belonged to st.
Peter himself 1t is a stone of little val
Ne cut with the scene of st. Peter draw
ing in fishing nets. 1t was first used
about the year 1865 but for secret doc
llments it was only used later Official
ly it is one of the symbols of office most
priced by the church. Although lost
| two or three times it has always been
! recovered.
Hundreds of offers have come from
Italy and abroad from doctors. drug
gists and specialists for the embalm-
ing OF the remains of Pope Leo, but.
naturally, not one of them has been ac-
cepted.
Cardinal Rampolla intended to leave
the Vatican, Monday night, Immediate
ly after the death of the Pope when,
having officially announced the demise
of the Pontiff to the diplomatic body
accredited to the Vatican and to the
Papal nuncios, with instructions to
have the news communicated to the va
rious foreign rulers, he considered his
duties as Papal secretary of state to
have been ended. Cardinal RamnolIa
was on the point of leaving when
Cardinal Oreglia insistently begged him
to remain in the apartment he had oc
cupied for over Is years, and the sec
rotary of state acceded to the reouest
The vicar of Rome, Cardinal Pietro
RespiGhi, has caused to be attached To
the doors of the churches an Announce
ment of the death of Pope Leo with in
structions regarding the prayers To he
offered and also giving Information
about the funeral services.