The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-21
ANNOUNCED in WASHINGTON.
Archbishop FnlcOnio Issues a state
ment to Sees and DiOceses.

ASS"CS - 'N@~~~-
ment to Sees and Dioceses.
Washington, July 2O.-The first def
mite announcement of the death of
Pope Leo made to his immediate rep
resentative in Washington, Apostolic
Delegate Falconio, was conveyed to
him at 12:45 o'clock to-day through the
medium of an Associated Press bulle-
tin Four hours later the official con-
firmation of the news came.
When the Associated Press bulletin
was handed to Archbishop Falconio he
was having his midday meal in COM
pany with Bishop Rocker and Auditor
Marchetti of the Apostolic delegation.
All expressed deep sorrow and seemed
to feel shocked, Notwithstanding they
had expected the announcement any
moment. During the afternoon the
delegation was visited by many of the
Catholic clergy and others, among the
callers being representatives of the
German and Russian embassies, both
of whom called in state to express the
sympathy of their respective nations.
The official announcement of the
Pope's death was carried to the lega-
ton at 4:45 O'Clock by a messenger
from the Postal Telegraph Company.
Il
pared and gave out the following ad-
dress to the archbishops and bishops
of the Catholic Church. of whom there
are ninety in America:
FaIcOniO's Address.
Apostolic Delegation, United States
of America.
Washington, D. c., July 20. 1908
Your Lordship: 1t is my painful
duty to convey to you the sad intelli-
gence of the death of our holy father,
the Pope, which occurred to-day. AS
in life, so in death, the august Pom
tiff had shown such wonderful exam
pie of serious thought, of character,
of sweetness of heart, of piety and of
Christian fortitude as to evoke in all
lands the most striking manifestation
of reverence and respect.
Leo XIII is dead. In him the world
has lost a profound scholar distin-
guished statesman, lover and pro-
tector of right and justice; has lost
one whose power for the amelioration
of society has been exercised with such
consumamte skill and earnestness as
to be felt everywhere and to gain for
him universal admiration. Hence his
death is deplored by all without dis
tinction of nationality or creed.
However, for US Catholics the loss
is greater, and consequently still more
keenly felt. In Leo XIII, besides the
scholar the statesman, the philanthro-
pist, we have lost our spiritual father,
the supreme pastor of our church, him
who during his long pontificate has
watched with inceSsant solicitude for
our spiritual welfare and has spared no
labor to proclaim farther and wider the
kingdom of his Divine Master. His
reigns recalls to our minds the bright
est days of the papacy. His noble ag-
ure has earned one OF the most glori-
Gus places in history.
"While we bow reverently before the
mortal remains of our august Pontiff
and deplore the great loss which his
death has caused to the church. let
public andp riVate prayers be raised
to heaven in every diocese and in every
narish for the eternal repose of that
noble soul AS to the public prayers
YOUR lordship may prescribe such suf-
frages as your piety may inspire. With
sentiments of highest esteem and pro-
found respect, l beg leave to remain
your devoted servant in Christ,
ID. Falconio,
Archbishop of Laryssa.
Delegate apostolic.
Mgr. Falconio requested that this adj
dress to the bishops would be accepted
as his statement concerning the death
of the Pope. Bishop Rocker and DIR.
Marchetti also expressed profound sor-
row.
The State Department. upon learn
ing of the death of the Pope. sent the
following cablegram to Cardinal Ram
polla:
cardinal Rampolla, the Vatican
Rome. The President desires me to
express his profound sense Of the loss
which the Christian world he's sustain
ed in the death of his holiness Leo
XIII. BY his lofty character, his great
learning and his comprehensive char