Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-07-24
SHOULD THE POPE DIE
IMPRESSIVE AND ELABORATE
CEREMONIES At ROME.

The Last Rites-lmpressive Forms-Announc-
ing the Event The Burial Rites Though
Prescribed by Law and Tradition Were Not
Observed in the Death Of Plus TX, Owing
to Exciting Political Conditions These Do
Not Now Exist and Usual Form Will Pre-.
vail.
At the death of the Pope a curious
and elaborate ceremony. which is the
growth of many centuries, 10 carried
out with care to the utmost detail.
Part of this ceremony may be said to
be the statute law of the Catholic
church at such crisis, and part is an
elaborate code Of rules which has be-
come law by the precedeuts of past
similar occasions.
The prescribed ceremonies, which
belong to the law OF the church. date
back to October l, 1862, with the con.
stitution In Elegendis of Plus ".
This constitution was extended by
Gregory XIV, November Is, 1921, in
his Aeterni Pstris, and both received
amplification by Gregory in his bull,
Deceit Romanum Pontificem, issued
March II, 1922. This last-named in
strument was futher supplemented by
Clement XII, in his Apostolstus Off.
cium. October IA. 1882. As to the
matters OF customary procedure not
found in this code, many are very an.
cient and historians are not agreed as
to their source of their significance.
When it is anticipated that the Pope
is about to die, the first act is for the
Secretary OF State to convey the infor-
nation to the dean OF the College of
Cardinals, who proceeds Immediately
with his colleagues who may be pres
ent at Rome to the papal residence.
BY order of the cardinal.vicar prayers
are directed to be offered in all Catho-
lic churches, and as rule the diplo-
matte corps is officially notified. II
the physicians in attendance Judge
death to be At hand the household of
the Pope and the cardinals are sum-
moned to his bedside. The Pope's
confessor and the cardinal grand peni.
tentiafy receive his last confession and
the sacrament Of extreme JUNCTION is
administered by the Pope's sacr istan.
an Augustinian monk. If the physi-
cal condition warrants the Pope
recites the Tridentine profession of
faith and receives the grand absolu.
ton from the grand penitentiary. 1t
is the belief OF the Catholic church
that while the Pope is Christ's vice.
gerent on Earth, holding by his gift
the keys of heaven and hell as regards
Others, he himself must receive abso-
luton and consolation on the level
with the humblest saint of the Catho.
lie communion.
After this ceremony the Pope may
declare his dying counsel and desire.
concerning his successor and the fu.
ture policy of the church, which, how.
ever, have no binding authority
The sacristan then recites the com.
mendation prayers, depart, Christ
ian SOUL" etc. As the last moment,
approaches the Franciscan friars, who
are pententiaries of st. Peters, chan,
the penitential psalms, and at the de-
mise the Secretary of State imme.
diately notifies the cardinal chamber.
lain, who by law is the executive o
the papal government ad interim,
This official, clothed in violet robe
and accompanied by the prelates o.
the chamber, enters the room of the
dead. The face of the corpse is GOV.
cred with white cloth, and while the
penitentiaries continue their chantins
/ OF the Offices OF the dead the cardinal