The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-08-24
ENT0MbMENT
Of POPE S BODY
SATURDAY EVE
CEREMONY AT ST.
PETERS CATHEDRAL WITNESS.
Sd BY oUSANDS-ELECTI
DATE UNSETTLED.

Rome, Aug. 23.-The entombment
urday evening at sunset. The great
basilica of st. Peters was in semi
darkness. A flickering light came
from perpetually burning tapers about
the shrine of the apostles and the
candles in the chapel where the cat
afalque stood.
Witnesses of the ceremony, num-
bering about 1000, came by special
invitation and included diplomatic
representatives accredited to the Holy
See, prelates and members of the
Roman aristocracy.
The procession formed in the chap.
el of the blessed sacrament, where
for hours the body of Plus X lay in
state. The catafalque was surmount-
ed by the triple crown and the body
was clothed in the pontifical robes
and surrounded by emblems of his
sacred office. Today thousands pass
ed by the bier.
The bier Saturday night was re-
moved and placed on a low platform
on wheels. At the gates of the chapel
the arch priest of , the basilica In
violet robes surrounded by the chap
tire, Joined the procession. First
came a jewelled cross held aloft,
then the cardinals and high prelates,
each carrying a candle. In the cen
ter was the bier, the cOrtege passing
amid the kneeling crowd while
| through the silent church was heard
the Miserere sung by the Sistine
choir
Select Final Resting Place.
The cortege marched into the crypt
where the body of Plus X will have
its final resting place. The tomb of
the late pontiff is on the righgt at
| the entrance to the subterranean chap
| el, close to that of several other
popes. Several ancient marble tab
| lets were removed to make room for
! the tomb of Plus, which while partly
/ within the wall, also projects into
the passage.
The body of the pontiff lies in a
cypress wood coffin on which rests
gold cross. This is encased in zinc
and finally in an oak casket. On the
casket is the inscription:
Here lies the body of Plus Y, born
June ., 1885; died August 20, 1914"
The coffin was placed within the
tomb, while Cardinal Della Volpe re
cited prayers for the dead. A monu-
ment to the pope will be erected in
the crypt
The congregation of cardinals met
for the second time this morning.
Cardinal Della Volpe presided Among
matters dealt with was the question
of holding the conclave for the cleo
tion of a new pope.
Election Date Unsettled.
Two opinions, dametrically opposed
were offered. One was that, owing to
the perturbed condition of the world,
the election must be fastened and
that the conclave should begin Aug
ust 81. The other advised delay, that
all cardinals might reach Rome.
An imposing funeral mass was Gel
ebrated at st. Peters in the chapel
facing that in which the late pope
lay in state. by Monsignor Ceppe.
telli, patriarch of Constantinople,
This was the first of a series of
masses at st. Peters daily until Aug
ust 81.
Cardinal Merry Del Val, papal sec
retary of state, is so grief stricken
over the death of the pope that he
scarcely can attend to official bust.
ness.
Cardinal Della Volpe has instructed
commanders of the papal guard and
other armed bodies to guard the Vat
lean to prevent any incident which
might disturb the work of the cardi'
nails.
Monsignor CALI, director of the gen
eral Vatican museum, took a death
mask of Plus y today. The congre'
cation of cardinals has decided to
issue a special medal commemorative
of the interregnum. The cardinals
also have selected Monsignor CALI to
deliver the funeral Grafton before
the sacred college.