The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-08-28
Pope Plus X DIES
GR|EV|NG OVER WAR
LAST ILLNESS BEGAN AS GREAT
WAR OPENED AND GRIEF HAS
TENED THE END.
Declares That "In Ancient Times the
Pope by Word Might Have Stayed
the Slaughter, But Now He is
lmpotent."

Rome.-Pope Plus x died at 1:20
o'clock Thursday morning, August 20.
He had been III for several days, but
alarming symptoms did not develop I'M
til Wednesday morning.
Throughout the day Irs. Marchia-
faYa and Amici devoted their utmost
energies to stimulating their patient
and keeping him alive. The cardinals
were notified of the pope's grave CON
dition and some of them who entered
the sick room describe the impressive
and heartrending scenes, especially
when the pontiff, rousing himself from
time to time, spoke. Once he said:
In ancient times the pope by a
word might have stayed the slaughter,
but now he is impotent"
Prayers were said by thousands and
the bells of the churches sounded
when the sacrament was exposed upon
Ill the affairs. When the court lea. ned
If the pope's condition there was the
deepest concern. King Victor En-
manuel personally informed Queen
Helena and the news was communi.
Gated to the queen mother.
Extreme JUNCTION was administered
by Mgr. zampini, sacristan to l1iz holt
ness, amid most touching scene
The sisters of the pope and his niece
we're overcome with grief Cardinal
Merry del Val knelt by the side Of his
bed, where other cardinals joined hinn
the members of the household tntou
ing prayers.
The dying pope, in moment of lu-
cidity said:
Now | begin to think as the end
is approaching that the Almighty In
His inexhaustible goodness wishes tc
spare me the horrors Europe is under
going
Cardinal Della Volpe, chamberlain Of
the church, who on the pope's death
assumes direction OF the holy see dur.
ing the interregnum, was summoned
from Imola and left Immediately for
Rome. A message was sent to the
pope's brother, Angelo, urging him to
come to Rome as quickly as possible.
while the pope's sister, Signora Paro-
lin, reached the vatican before death
ensued.
The Giornale dItalia, discussing the
difficulties of holding a conclave for
the election of a pope while the world
Is at war, says that even if Italy were
among the belligerents every facility
would be given the sacred college tc
meet. 1t expresses the belief that
! new pope might be chosen from
among the foreign cardinals, for in.
stance, Cardinal William Van Rossum
Of the archdiocese of Utrecht, The
Netherlands, who would be representa-,
tive of neutral power.
The Tribune says: The pope was
the victim of the war. In these latter
days he dictated a great number of
| dispatches and tried to avoid the hor.
rors of European war. The rupture
of peace broke down the last rem
nants of his strength"
That the pope was grieying deeply
over the state Of Europe. even to the
last, was evidenced by his words dur
ing one of his lucid intervals in re
afternoon.
Now l am forced to see.'' he wills
pered, "the spectacle of my own chill
dren, even those VINO yesterday
worked here with me, leave for the
war. abandon the cassock and cowl for
the soldiers uniform. Yesterday. al
though they were of different nation
alities. they were here studying IN
sympathetic companionship, now in
different fields they are armed against
each other, ready to take each others
lives"
Grief over the war in Europe caused
the pope much depression from the
first outbreak. and several days ago
symptoms appeared of the old bron-
chial affection from which the pontiff
had suffered times past
Pope Plus Y was born Joseph Sarto,
IN italian Giuseppe Melchiovre Sarto.
at REESE, near Venice, June 2. 1885.
He was the child of poor peasants. He
rose to station considered by mil
lions of people the most exalted in the
world Talent displayed at an early
age and developed to an extraordinary
iegree, deep piety, broad human SYM
patty and tireless energy brought
about his marvellous success. All his
life he held the love of his fellow men
He was the Pope Of the Poor"
His grandfather was soldier in the
papal army under Gregory XVI. His
father worked in the fields and as
communal carrier, struggling to main