The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-21
BY TOLLING BELLS
DEATH OF LEO XIII WAS AN
NOUNCED FROM CATHEDRAL. +.
WITH FUNERAL DRAPERY
CATHEDRAL WILL BE DECKED
FOR NEXT THIRTY DAYS.

Priests and People VIII Repeat the
De PrOfundis After Each Low
Mass for Next MOnth-Requiem
Mass TO He Said for RepOse of His
SouI-Arrangements for Such Serv-
ices Announced by Bishop b. }.
Kelley in Pastoral Letter,tO Clergy
of DiOcese-Pays Tribute to Life
and Work of POpe-CathOIics~V Wit
nesses to Heartfelt Sympathy and
Interest of NOn-CathOlic Friends
Tolling bells announced to the peo-
ple of Savannah shortly after noon
Yesterday that Pope Leo XIII Lad
rassed away. The news came by cable
and indicated that the end had come
few minutes after 4 O'Clock in the
afternoon. This information was
spread about the city very generally,
but the tolling bells in the Cathedral
convinced of it's truth all who had per-
haps thought that the report was but
a rumor. The people had been pre-
pared for this news, although the end
had been delayed longer than most had
expected.
At the Cathedral preparations were
made for conforming to the instruc-
tions of Bishop Kelley. The Cathedral
of ST. John The Baptist will be APP
propriately draped and thus will re-
main for thirty days.
Instructions have been issued TO the
priests in charge of the several
parishes to have a Solemn Requiem
Mass in each of the churches. The
time for celebra ting this mass is not
fixed and may be held at times APP
pointed by the several reetors. 1t is
necessary however, that the mass shall
be said before the ten days which will
eIapse before the dead Pontiff is placed
in the crypt.
This morning, at early mass; prayers
will be said for the repose of the soul
of the deceased Pope.
bishop kefIey's Letter.
The following is letter which the
Rt Rev. Bishop Kelley communicated
10 Father Kennedy on hearing of the
death of the Pope, and directed him to
send the same to all the clergy of his
diocese. which will be done to-day:
"A calamity we'll nigh irreparable
has overtaken the Catholic world. Leo
XIII for the prolongation of whose
precious life heaven has been besieged
with prayers, has gone from us.
Fortified by the sacred rites of the
church he yielded up his pure soul to
God on the goth day of July, 1903.
acre was a pathetic sublimity in the
scene when the vicar of Christ Jesus
and infallible head of Christ's flock
on earth, surrounded by his household,
with murmured prayer on his dying
lips; humblY received the last sacra-
lnents and those wondrous spiritual
comforts which are the solace of the
humblest as we'll as the highest of the
children of Mother Church.
1T is no -exaggeration to say that
the world stood at the door of this
dying old man. 1t was but natural to
expect that we, his children, had watt
ed WITH anxiety for news from the lit
tie room where our father lay battling
with death: it was to- be expected that
our PRAYERS had been said to the grand
and invisible head of the church, tnat
he might prolong the days of one
who had governed so wisely and
nesses to the heartfelt sympathy and
interest of our non-Catholic friends
and their prayers for our Holy Fa-
{. TIERS recovery.
In one sense he belonged to the
world, for he was the representative or
the one who came to save all, and he
never forgot the claim which those
outside the fold had on his charity. AS
the DAYS go by thinking men will rec
doh NH CE, a
q leve the social fabric cannot stand
unless based on Christian principles,
owe him.
Would Have Solved Labor Troubles
IF his words had been needed a
solution of our labor troubles had been
found. When in the days to come,
confronted with social ruin, as Well
may cause men to tremble, they VIII
s. find it an imperative necessity 10 de-
fend the home against the injurious
lavages of divorce legislation, then
they will remember the apostolic words
of the old man of the Vatican and la
ment that they fell on needless ears.
True it is, that though the Pope
dies, the papacy lives, and will i've
forever; true it is that soon another
White-robed figure will sit on Peter
chair there in the Vatican, to rule the
church of the Living God; but ne
had been with us so long and had
done so much for us that we could
not bring ourselves%o believe the news
81 which came to us that Leo XIII was
dying
During his glorious pontificate he
did much for the children in these
states. He appointed nearly every one
OF our bishops; he established a num-
Der of new sees, and he never ceased
10 express his admiration and love foI
his children here. No greater proof
OF his love could be given than the
establishment of the apostolic delega-
ton at Washington whereby we were
brought more closely in union with
the center of unity, Rome.
Love and duty combined to make
Us offer fervent prayers to God ~fol
tne preservation and prolongation OF
d life so precious to us, so much need
"a by the church. But God has deemed
II best to call him home and reward
nm. He had long since passed the
goal which marks the ordinary limit
OF human life. Ninety-three years
snd more hid he labored for Christ
9!d now the Master, as the evening OF
ms days came, calls him home. we
cannot forget him, and thanks to q
hefciful God we are enabled, through
consoling and divinely revealed doc
tIihe of our holy faith, to make sucf
remembrance as proves our love anc
aVails his soul
We direct therefore, that our Ca
JAedral Church shall he suitably drap.