Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-17
POPE SHOCKED BY
CARDINAL s DEATH
RampolIa, Who Tried to Unity
Christianity, Defeated for
Papacy by Austria.

ROME, Dec. 1.-THE death of Car
tary of state, was not made known to
Pope Plus x. until this morning. Car
dinal Merry del Val and Monsignor
Giovanni Bressan, the pope's private
secretary. went to see his holiness at
an early hour, intending to break the
sad news as gently as possible. But
when the Pope heard the name OF
| Cardinal Rampolla, coupled with the
word ''indisposition," he grew pale,
and begged them to tell him the
truth without hesitation. as anxiety
and uncertainty affected him more
than anything else The two pre-
lates then told him that Rampolla
was dead.
AS recently as Saturday the Pope
had received Cardinal Rampolla, who
was then apparently in his usual
good health and spoke at length
about many affairs.
The Pope later issued the following
statement:
Cardinal Rampolla was one OF the
greatest men in the church. He had
become even greater since he retired
from state affairs"
His holiness ordered that the high
est honors should be paid to the de-
ceased cardinal.
On Sunday evening last Cardinal
Rampolla received Sllas McBee. for
mer editor of the Churchman, and
his WIFE,. of New York, and discussed
with them the question of bringing
about a better understanding between
all religious sects.
Cardinal Rampolla was the closest
collaboration with Pope Leo XIII. in
the movement for the reunion of the
Christian churches. When Pope Leo
was dying cablegram was received
in Rome saying that the American
Protestant congregations were pray
ing for his recovery. Cardinal Ram
polla took the dispatch Immediately
to the dying pontiff, who instructed
Cardinal Rampolla to write that the
message had been great consolation
to him, as 1t had proved that his
scheme for the reunion of the
churches was not a dream.
Yesterday morning Cardinal Ram
polla went to st Peters to inspect
the work of restoration Of the choir
Later he felt general indisposition,
which developed into profound pros
tration. He refused, however, to al
low his secretary to remain with him
all night in the little palace behind
ST. Peters, where he had lived since
he left the secretaryship of state
The cardinals secretary, alarmed
at his condition, consulted a physi-
clan. The latter visited the cardi-
nal, but discovered no serious symp
toms, and ordered him to take a COM
plete rest. Later in the evening the
cardinal grew worse and had great
difficulty in breathing. He sent a
messenger hurriedly for his secretary
and physician, but when they arrived
the cardinal was dead.
The physician declared death due
to angina pectoris. The cardinals
secretary pronounced a conditional
absolution and then sent for the pre-
late's sister, Baroness Carolina RAM
polla Pezzana, and informed Cardinal
Merry del Val
1t had been thought in many quar-
tiers that Cardinal Rampolla was the
most likely candidate for the papal
chair in case of the death of the
present Pope.
After the death of Pope Leo XIII.
Rampolla was a predominant figure
among those who were in line of sue
cession. ftIit
Had 1t not been for Emperor Fran
els Joseph, of Austria, who exercised
an ancient prerogative and entered
an objection, he would have been
pope The emperor thought that, as
papal secretary of state, Rampoila
had leaned too strongly toward
France.
The deceased cardinal was born at
Polizzi, Sicily, in 1913, and was made
cardinal In 1887. He was archpriest |
of st. Peter and secretary of the
Congregation of the Universal In
quIsition.