The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-07-21
Cardinal, Who IS Dean of
Sacred College, Steps
Into Place of Pope
BODY LIES IN STATE
Unique Ceremonies Are
Conducted Over the
Bier of POntiff.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Rome, July 2I.-This morning began
the first Of those grandcose and unique
ceremonies which follow the demise of a
pope, and although private, it was con-
Quoted with great pomp and was most inn
pressive.
All the cardinals at present in Rome,
numbering 20, assembled at the apostolic
palace to view the remains Of the late
Leo XIII. and to officially pronounce him
dead.
Gowned in Violet.
Cardinal Oregia, dean of the sacred
college and camerlingo OF the holy Roman
Catholic church, had to put aside his car
dinal's robes as sign of deep mourning,
and was eowned entirely in violet.
The other cardinals wore crimson robes
with violet collars, indicative of mourn
ing.
Within the death chamber the body lay
with a white veil over the face, on the bed
surrounded by Franciscan peniten,iaries,
while outside the noble guard maintained
a solemn vigil.
Prayers Are Chanted.
The profound silence was broken only
by the chanting of prayers for the dead.
Into the solemn presence came the
mourning procession OF cardinals who,
kneeling, silently prayed.
Then the prelates revcrently looked on
while Cardinal Oreglia approached the re-
mains.
For this mornings functions the pope's
bedroom had been transformed into kind
of mortuary chapel with the altar at one
end, having in the center a crucihx sur
rounded by six lighted candles. Four can
dies stood at the bed corners.
White Veil Removed.
The white veil was then removed from
the dead mans face, revealing the cameo
like features of the departed pope, rem
dered sharper and more transparent by
death.
So lifelike was the body that those pres
ent half expected to see Leo raise his
hand in the familiar gesture of blessing.
A moment Of breathess silence ensucd
and then the cardinal camerlngo, taking the
asphersorium, sprnklcd the late pontid
with holy water and said in a firm voice,
"Gioacchino," (the Christian name of the
deceased holy father.
When there was no answer the same
word was repeated three times, louder and
louder, after which, turning to the kneeling
cardinals, the camerlingo solemnly AN
nounced:
Papa we're mortus est (the pope is
really desd).
Tribute to the Dead
AS the words were uttered there arose
from the kneeing cardinals n sigh,
tribute paid to the late pontilf by these
rrincely heads of the church.
After this, in voices trembling with emo
ton, the ranking cardinals recited the de
profundis, gave absolution and sprinkled
the body with holy water.
Following the ceremony Of the rccogni-
tion of the death of the pope by the sacred
.oege came another, shorter, but no less
significant and symbolic.
On Leo's finger was the famous fisher
mans ring which the camerlngo, with
whispered prayer, drew gently off and
which, later, will be broken in the presence
of the cardinals, reset and presented to the
new pope when he is elected
Ring Of Great Antiquity.
The ring is of great antiquity. 1t is
even said to have belonged TO St. Peter
himself. 1t is a stone of little value, cut
with the scene of St. Peter drawing in
fishing nets.
1t was first used about the year 1905, but
for secret documents it was only used
later.
Officially 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, druggists
and specialists for embalming the remains
of Pope Leo, but, naturally, not one of
them has been accepted.
Cardinal Rampola intended to leave the
vatican last night, Immediately after the
death of the pope when having officially
announced the demise of the pontH to
the diplomatic body accredited to the vat
ican and to the papal nuncios, with instruc-
tions to have the news communicated to
the various foreign rulers, he considered
his duties as papal secretary of state to
have been ended.
Begged to Remain.
Rampola was on the point Of leaving
when Cardinal Oreglia insistently begged
him to remain in the apartment he had
occupied for more than I6 years, and the
secretary of state acceded to the request
The vicar of Rome, Cardinal Petro
Respighi, has caused to he attached to the
CONTINUED on Page Three.)