Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-30
HAS FEARS OF A MOB
Pope Plus X Will Not Move Re-
mains of Leo XIII.
RECALLS FORMER RIOT
Disgraceful Demonstration Attend
ing Transfer of Plus ks Body.
TREASURES OF THE LATERAN
Resting Places Of Fathers Of the
Catholic Church-Inspection Of
Crypt of st. Peters.
BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

itS Wy SOSldlfStS anu vi
Rome similar to that which attended the
removal of the body of Plus TX from ST.
Peters to the Church of San Lorenzo,
where it is now resting.
That was one of the most disgraceful
episodes in Roman history. 1t was sup
posed that Plus TX would be buried in
the new basilica of St Paul's. outside the
walls of Rome in which he took such
great interest. and everybody was sur
prised when he selected the old Church
of San Lorenzo. near where the body of
St Lawrence is supposed to have been
found after his martyrdom. 1t stands
in one of the most disreputahle parts of
the city. near the Campo Nerano. the
great modern burial place of Rome. Plus
TX. however, has been provided with
beautiful tomb in a subterranean cham
Der which is lined with the finest modern
mosaicS in the world. They represent
the incidents in the life of a Good Shop
herd and were made at the mosaic fac
tory of the Vatican. The sarcophagu in
closing the body is severe In it's simplicity.
but its surroundings are superb.
A Disgraceful Demonstration.
There was a terrible riot when the body
of PiuX TX was transferred from st.
Peters. and to the eternal shame of the
municipal authorities no precautions were
taken to prevent it and no protection was
furnished by the police. After midnight
mass at St. Peters a procession was
formed of cardinals. eminent clergy from
Rome and other cities of Europe, and
various dignitaries. diplomatic and &C.
clesiastics, and the Papal Guards pro-
Ceeded across the city toward the Church
of San Lorenzo.
For portion of the distance the route
lay along the banks of the Tiber, where
mob was awaiting the pageant It was
n g
ers were anarchists. socialists and dis
reputable politicians. and 1t was so we'll
organized that it could scarcely have es-
capped the knowledge of the police. Ten
thousand faithful Catholics followed the
procession without suspecting that its
march would be disturbed. but before they
could raise their hands In defense of the
sacred dust and the venerable prelates
who escorted it the mob had stoned and
beaten to insensibility a score of cardinals.
bishops and archbisnops; and but for in,
reference of these loyal followers would
have thrown the body of Plus TX into
the Tiber. They attempted to do so The
ca sket was even removed from the hearse,
when the crowd of mournerS from the
end of the procession came surging for
ward to see what the cries of alarm
meant. and drove back the mob. 1t was
a furious battle. lasting nearly half an
hour, and resulting in the death of several
persons. When the roughs were driven
away the procession was reformed and
proceeded to its destination.
The Italian government has given as
suranceS that this outrage shall never be
repeated but Plus will not consent to
take any risks in the removal of his inn
mediate predecessor, and told Signor Tado-
lni that he had chosen for his own burial
place an obscure corner in the crypt of
st. Peters. that he will give no
anxiety to his successor
Resting Place of Leo XIII.
In one of the aisies of St. Peters is a
'.Memento Mort" as it is called, for the
living pope in the form of splendid sar-
cophagus, in which his body will be laid
after death to remain until his permanent
tomb is prepared. 1t is now still occu-
pied by the fragile form of Leo XIII. Ac-
cording to the latters plans. his perma-
nent tomb has been placed over the door
leading into the sacristy to the left of the
choir of the ancient and famous Church
of St. John Lateran. 1t Is uniform with
the tomb of Pope Innocent Ill. who died
in 1915. which occupies a similar place
over the corresponding door at the right
of the choir. This sarcCphagus was de-
signed by Leo XIII himself In 1851 and
erected to the memory OF his great prede-
cessor for Innocent III was his ideal
among all the popes and the example he
tried TO emulate. 1t is of Carrara marble.
beautifully severe, with a recumbent fig
ure upon the lid. and the panels richly
ornamented with tracings OF gold. 1t
bears the coat of arms of Innocent Ill
and the inscription ''1ic jacet Innocent
Ill. Pontifex Maximus. Pulvis est"
Here lies Innocent III, Sovereign Pom
tiff. He is DUST The inscription upon
the sarcophagus intended for Leo XIII
is precisely similar except for the name.
Innocent III was the pope of the Cru
sades. He reigned from 1897 to 1915. and
sat in the papal chair during that terrible
struggle between the soldiers of the cross
and Saiadin, who, next to Mahomet is
the greatest figure in the history of Is
lam. During the reign of Innocent III
the papacy reached its highest influence. |
and every king of Europe paid him honor.
He was recognized "over-lord'' by ev-
cry civilized sovereign: was the founder
of the papal states. and under his patron |
age the two great monastic orders of st.
Dominic and st. Francis were founded. |
1t is one of the traditions of the Lateran |
that these saints once met and conversed
upon the portico of that church
The Lateran.
The Lateran was the residence of the
popes for nearly a thousand years. and
to be until the seat of the |
church was removed TO Avignon, France. |
nearly hundred years after Innocent III !
When the pope returned to Rome he |
took up his residence in the Vatican The
old Lateran' palace was afterward a hos |
pit al. but since 1873 has been occunied |
by an Incompatible collection of relics |
of the early history of the church called |
the Christian Museum 1t was founded |
by Plus Y and is of great value to STU |
dents of ecclesiastical history and archie |
ology. Cardinal Satolli. who was formely |
papal lesate at Washington. is pastor of |
he Church of the Ldteran and resides in |
a palace adjoining the basilica, surround |
ed by the residence of thu canons of the |
the officials of the Congregation |
of Studies. of which he is project and his |
secret aries.
Sixteen popes are buried in st John
and l5t are buried in St Peters /
For 900 years tn popes We're buried in |
the catacombs. St. Peters began to be |
the official mausoleum with the burial of /
Pope Leo | in the year i61. and for two |
and a half centuries the collins of dead |
pontiffs were laid side by side in the
crypt. until every inch of ground was
occupied, the burials being made under
the floor and marked by plain slabs with
Latin epitaphs. Since the cathedral was
rebuilt the tombs have been placed along
the walls above ground and in the chapels
and the corridors of the basilica and
many of them are splendid examples of
the sculptors art.
Inspection of the Crypt.
People who wish to visit the crypt of st.
Peters must make application at the
Vatican with the Endorsement of some
cardinal or other dignitary Of the church |