The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-29
POPE LE0's BODY
IS LAID TO REST
Solemn ohsequiss Took Place as
The Sun Went Down.
FRONT DOORS OF BislLIGA CLOSED
The Details of a Ceremony Of
Interest to the Whole World.

Rome, July 25.-The body of Pope
Leo was inferred in ST. Peters to-
night. The strokes Of the hammer
| which resounded through the immense
dome of the cathedral announced to
the earnest gathering in the nave that
Leo XIII had been laid to rest. At
sundown the most important, most
solemn, of all the obsequies took
place. The front doors of the basillca
were closed, and the vast church, ex-
cept for a row of lights at the shrine
of st. Peter, the candles about the
bier and those persons who had quiet
" and with the utmost reverence
gathered there, appeared deserted.
/ About LOCO persons had received
invitations to attend the ceremonies.
The cardinals, who met earlier in the
vatican, entered the chapel choir,
waiting there for the arrival of the
procession, Cardinal Oreglia, the cam
erlengo, holding the keys Of command.
It is estimated that $4,000 people
passed the catafalque since Thursday
morning. The last funeral mass in
st. Peters was celebrated this morn
ing in the chapel of the choir by Mgr.
Penicy, canon Of the vatican basilica.
At the same time funeral masses we're
celebrated in most of the churches Of
Rome. The most imposing ceremony
today was the reception by the sacred
college, in the hall of the consistory,
of the whole diplomatic body accredit.
ed to the vatican. All the diplomats
wore gorgeous uniforms and the cardi-
mails had on their magnificent violet
robes and were seated in huge arm
chairs, according to right of prece-
dence. The Portuguese ambassador, M.
Martins D'Antus, dean of the diplo-
matte corps, was at the head of the
body. He advanced and delivered an
address in French, expressing the sor-
row of all the powers at the death of
Pope Leo, who had acquired the uni
Versal esteem of the world.
Cardinal Oreglia, dean of the college
Of cardinals, rose and answered in
Italian. He eulogized Pope Leo and
his work during his long pontifcate
and ended with expressing the hope
that God would suggest to the sacred
college a worthy successor to Leo
XIII.
After this the members of the diplo-
matte body kissed the hands of all the
cardinals, and especially congratulated
Cardinal Oreglia on the sentiments
he had expressed and which produced
the best of impressions.
When the time came to take the
isherman's ring from Pope Leo's fin
ger it has developed another was founo
in its place. This did. not surprise
anyone, as generally the pontiff does
not wear it, the ring being less of an
ornament than an unused seal. At the
first meeting of the congregation OF
cardinals after the pope's death, when
the famous ring should have been
broken, this ceremony was omitted,
and it was put on record that the ring
for the moment could not be found.
The fsherman's ring is known to
have been lost twice before.
So far it has not been discovered,
but the vatican authorities assure The
Associated Press that the ring will
be undoubtedly found.
On two other occasions the ring
was taken from the papacy by force.
In 1897, the French Republicans, in
vading the papal states, despoiled Plus
VI of all his valuables, and among
them of the fsherman's ring. 1t was
returned the next day, as it had no in
trinsic value.
When Plus VI was kidnapped in the
middle of the night and was made to
give up this ring, the pope gave it up
after breaking it in two pieces, which
were kept in Paris until returned to
Rome by Louis XVIII.