The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-20
Cardinals Merry del Val, Wives
Y. Tutto and Cojelan De
Lai the Ones
GREATEST SECRECY
IS BEING OBSERVED
Cardinal Dominic Ferrata Is
Mentioned as Successor to
Plus, Who May
Live Months

ROME. Aprn f9-During the III
ness of the pope the government Of
the church As fin the hands Of trium-
virate Of Cardinals Merry del Val.
Wives Y Tu;to and Caielan de lai.
The triumvirate VIII go cut Of exist
ance when the lEpe dies but as
the pontiff may live for some months
yet it viii be all powerful until the
end comes.
These cardinals maintain unpre-
cedented secrecy as TO the pope's con-
dition Only meaEre details are given
out the laconic. optimistic bulletins
of the doctors which are supervised
personally by Cardinal Merry del Val
in order TO minimize the seriousness
Of the popes condition as much as
possible.
The 0zserya1ore Romano. the Off
ciaI organ IF the Vatican. has been
ordered to publish no information
except the officials bulletins The
cardinals who call TO make inquiries
as TO the pope's condition. instead Of
meeting Cardinal Merry del Val, and
the physicians in the papal ante
chamber. are received by a minor Of
fetal who merely reads the bulletins
to them Cardinal Merry del Val
TafeIF sees any OF his tGttSSE usS.
Merry del Val j. Secretise.
IF Cardinal Merry del Val ever had
any chances of succeeding to the
papacy he has surely lost it during
the period of his increased power. II
must be remembered that the ma
iority of the cardinals are Italians,
and they resent the idea Of submitting
to a foreigner. who. moreover. IS tina
Youngest member of the sacred col
=
the pope's sisters, two plain. simple
minded peasants, who followed him
TO Rome az they say to have some
body in the family near him in case
Of Illness" have 70 bow 10 the author
ity Of this secretary of State, who is
half English and half Spanish.
The pope insisted on being nursed
by his sisters, who were continually
at his bedside, but it is contrary to ths
etiquette Of the Vatican for wom an
to spend a night in the pope's apart
nent. and Cardinal Merry del Val re-
fused 20 allow the rule, which dates
back to the seventeenth century to
be broken Every evening the two
old women are compelled TO leave the
Vatican with heavy hearts and the
fear that their brother will die dur
ing their absence They spend the
nights living awake until the small
hours Of the morning Their anxiety
is Increased by the fear that their
brother will die suddenly, and that
in the confusion at the last moment
a message sunmoning them TO the
Vatican will be forgotten.
Ferrata L. Mentioned.
The pope may recover from his
present illness, and linger for months.
but he Will always he an invalid, and
practically bedridden.
There is much discussion in re-
gard TO the conclave and the cleo
tion Of the successor to Plus Y The
most likely candidate now seems 10
he Cardinal Dominic Ferrata, who is
A friend of Cardinal Rampolia, the
secretary Of state under Pope Leo
XIII He Is a man Of great tact and
experience, who would make a po-
litical, as we'll as religious, pope.
The only drawback TO his candidacy
is an occurrence when he was nuncio
at Paris
The police expelled the person from
France The incident was forgotten,
and he was made cardinal when, his
friends said, that the party was try
ing to get money out of him by means
Of a scandal
The night arrangement at the Vat
lean in connection with the pope's ILL
the pontifs improvement. DR.. Amici
is spending the night in the pope's
apartment. and the pharmacy in the
Vatican is being kept open.
Since Yesterday no one has entered
the pontiH's bedroom except Ca dinai
Merry del Val. Professor MarchiafaTa,
DR. Amici three other Vatican Off
Gals. the pope's sisters and his
brother, Angelo Sarto. the postman.
whose arrival the newspa pers an
nounced this morning, although he
has been here for week.
The popes room was darkened, and
The shutters were closed during the
day.
Condition Improves.
The popes condition is said II have
/ improved TO such an extent that only
one bulletin is necessary. Today TX
was issued--naturally, this morning,
when the pope's temperature was low.
Professor Marchiafava admits that
the pope is not yet out of danger"
While everybody admits that tie
danger of the pope's death Is not i'm
minent. owing to his unexpected and
miraculous Improvement. still the
weakness of his vital powers. espe-
cially his heart. is causing more ap-
pl chenson than the bronchitis from
which he Is suffe ring.
The pope's brother. Angelo for the
first time since The pontiff was taken
seriously i'll, was admitted to ths
presence of his brother today, As he
was passing into the sickroom. An
cello. who is postman in the employ
of the Italian government, was over
come with emotion and fear. as ne
saw his brother lying in bed.
Poor Bepi-
He FASTENED to the bed and fell
upon his knees, but tho pope reached
out and touched him, saying. mo:
here is your place" The brothers en-
braced and Angelo was heard TO soh.
Poor Bepi, poor Repi, this being
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