The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-21

hair, rising above the crimson cover !
let, his hand raised in the familiar
gesture of benediction, the kneeling as
semblage being too earnestly absorbed |
IN deep affection, generation and
weeping, to even make a movement
The last conscious act of the Pontiff
was to turn his eyes towards the great
cruclhx on the wall, after which he
suffered from a paroXysm OF choking,
during which he passed away.
Then the silence of the awe-stricken
assemblage was broken by the sonor-
Gus voice of Cardinal Serafino Van
nutelli, the grand penitentiary inton-
ing the Requiem Aeternam Crest eter-
nab.
SOIemnIy Impressive.
The occurrences in the death cham
Der Immediately following the Pope's
demise were of impressive solemnity
Couriers had been despatched to sum-
mon those who are delegated to per-
form the first religious offices toward
the dead Pope, and soon the chanting
of the Franciscan monks was heard as,
two by two, in coarse brown habits,
and with sandaled feetFthey proceeded
to the room in which Leo lay dead.
From time immemorial the Francis
cans have been penitentiaries of st.
Peters. Following them came the Noble
remains, the brilliancy of their uni
forms contrasting strikingly with the
sombre attire of the quantity robed
monks and the solemn dignity of the
chamber itself. The only sound heard
was the measured chanting of the
Psalms of penitence, by a group of
monks kneelng beside the couch of
death.
The body lay exactly as it was at the
10
breath A white veil was thrown over
the dead mans face, while awaiting
the solemn entrance of the Camerlingo,
who was to officially pronounce the
Pontiff actually dead.
The gruesome details of the en-
balming will not be performed until
after the lapse of twenty-four hours.
Then the body will be robed in full
pontifical vestments for the imposing
funeral ceremonies.
Birthday Flags FIOated.
By a strange coincidence to-day is
the birthday of former Queen Mar
gherita, the mother of King Victor
Emmanuel, and flags had been put all
over the city in her honor giving it
festive appearance. By express de-
sire no salutes were fired. as is GUS
tomary, so that the Pontiff might not
be disturbed, especially as there is
fort near the Vatican. When the King
heard of this desire, he had Geographic
orders sent all over the kingdom that
no salutes should be fired.
The only discordant note was struck
by the Socialist organ, Avantf, which
says:
1--WE Socialists, without disdain, but
with Indifference. pass before this
corpse and await the new enemy"
The government has renewed the
Uro
delli attending to the work personally
to insure order about the Vatican, but
it cannot and will not take participa-
ton directly in the mourning.
Thei death of the Pope brings about
widespread interest in all the admin
istrative departments of the church
and considerably influences questions
of church policy. There is a complete
transformation of apostolic authority,
the death of the Pope meaning the
nominal death of all the officials under
him. The propa ganda alone remains
intact, as the project. and entire ma
chinery of the propaganda is unaf-
fected.
Vatican's Foreign Relations.
Among the International questions
which may be affected by the Pope
are those connected with the suppress
sion of religious orders in France and
the charge of the clergy in the new
| Spanish American possessions. Among
| Vatican officials the Philippine ques-
/ lion, involving transfers OF the fridTs,
| is regarded as one of the most inn
portance The presene Philippine policy
had the hearty approval of Leo XIII,
and there is no reason to believe that
| it win be changed.
The relations between the Italian
government and the Vatican continue
| to be serious problems. Although the
temporal authority of the papacy ter
minated eight years before Leo XIII
became Pope, he steadfastly maintain
| ed the principle of temporal power, and
lost no opportunity to endeavor to Sc
| cure it's restoration.
Candidates for Pontifcnte.
From a most reliable source the AS
sociated Press representative learns
| that the considerable talk which is
| going the rounds to the effect that
| certain foreign Powers might exercise
the right of veto in the conclave is
| unfounded. What the Powers desire
| is NOT that the Pope should be friendly
| to any particular Power, but that he
| should conduct the affairs of the pa
| macy in a peaceful, equitable, religious
| manner, without stirring up interna-
| tional strife. Indeed, it is supposed
| that the rumor that Austria might
| attempt to exercise the right of ex-
clusion against Cardinal Rampolla was
started by the friends of the latter to
have him appear as a prosecuted mar
tyr
The most prominent candidates. for
| the succession are Cardinals Gotti,
oreglia, Agliardi Serafino, Vannu-
Tell. Capecelatro, Sarto, Rampolla, Di
Pietro. Stampa, Ferrari, Satolli and
| Richelmy.
Arrangeme for Funeral.
Only the most general funeral ar
fragments have thus far been made, as
the shock of the Pope's death for the
moment occupies all attention.
Cardinal Oreglia, together with the
members of the Sacred College, will de-
termine the details of the elaborate
funeral ceremonies, which VIII last nine