The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-08-29
SOLEMN AND SIGNIFICANT RITES
MARK THE CLOSE OF A POPE'S
EARTHLY CAREER.

Lector gives an exhaustive account O.
the dramatic finale that supervenes
upon the close of Pontiff's life. The
work contains many chapters dealing
with the historic etiquette and priv
lege that attach to st. Peters sue
cessor, both at the period Of his cleo
ton to the sacred chair and at the
last act in his mortal career. The
following extract will be of interest al
the present time.
AS soon as the illness of the Pope
has assumed grave character, says
Lector, the Cardinal Secretary OF
State notifies first the Cardinal Dean
(or senior of his rank, in order that
he may assemble his fellow Cardinals
at the Vatican and, secondly, the Car.
dinal Vicar, whose duty it becomes to
order special prayers for His Holt
ness in all the churches. The diplo
matte corps is also notified. Suppos
ing the Pontiff not to be too ill, he
calls around him his domestic pre-.
lates as we'll as the dignitaries of his
| pontifical family or encourage. The
Grand Penitenciar assists the dying
Pope, whose personal confessor is
also present; the Bishop-Sacristan
| always monk of the Order of ST.
Augustin, says Lector, and nearly al
ways Titular Bishop of Porphyris)
takes the Viaticum to him and admin
listers Extreme Unction, after which
the Grand Penitenciar hears the
moribund Pope recite his profession
of faith as formulated by the Councils
of Trent and of the Vatican.
The generals of the great religious
orders are present so as to give the
dying Pontiff especial indulgences
which they have the privilege of con
ferring. At the moment of the last
agony, the gentlemen of the guard
are warned so as to be at hand tc
commence their vigil. If his condi
ton allows of it, the Pontiff ad
time, recommending to their care al
things in the Church, and speaks 9
word or two, perhaps, as to the cleo
ton Of successor, also indicating
where he wishes to be buried anG
| concluding with his last blessing
There is, says Lector, nothing in the
world so moving as these supreme
allocutions of the Father of the Chris
tan Church. AS soon as the Pope
has breathed his last, the Carolina
Camerlengo is informed, and with his
prelates, officers and attendants, this
dignitary takes official cognizance OF
the decease of the Pope and arranges
for the government of the Church ir
the interregnum. Thus on Feb. Z
1878, Cardinal Pecci afterwards Lee
KILL took up his quarters in the
Vatican, and, indeed, never left il
again, and on Aug. 8, 1903, Cardinal
Sarto entered the sacred precincts
from which he, too, never again
emerged. Etiquette does not permi5
the Cardinal Camerlengo to enter the
death chamber till the Pontiff's pass
ing has been announced to him off
cially.
Dressed in violet, which is the Pa
pal mourning color, and wearing
rochet covered with a black cape un
der his distinctive robe, the Gamer
lengo proceeds to the threshold OF
the death chamber, and is led to tho
couch upon which the dead Pope lies
no hand having as yet touched his
body. A white veil covers the Pom
tiffs face. A group of Penitenciars OF
St. Peter continue to recite the pray
ers for the dead. Kneeling upon
violet cushion, the Camerlengo prays
for moment in silence, whilst the
chamberlains remove the veil from
the Pope's face. Then he approaches
the bedside in order to take officia'
cognizance of the death of the Vicar
of Christ. He is then handed small
silver Tor ivory hammer, with which
he taps the forehead of the deceased
at the same time calling out thrice
in high-pitched and mournful tones
the baptismal name of the departed
POntiff.
In the case of Pope Leo the name
was Joachim, in Italian, Gioachina,
name which lends itself well to sol
emn and dramatic intonation; in the
case of Pope Plus, the name is Giu.
seppe, soft, plaintive, kindly, as the
Holy Father Himself Turning to
those in attendance, the Camerlengo
then announces that the Sovereign
Pontiff is truly dead" and all begin
the recital of the De Profundis. AT
the same moment the chief chamber
lain hands the Cardinal the Fisher.
mans Ring, which will have to be
broken, together with the official
leaden seals of the papacy, in the
presence of all his colleagues when
the first meeting of the Sacred Col
lege takes place. To the same chief
Chamberlain prelate always-will
belong the privilege of handing the
Pope-elect new ring, and he will do
so kneeling on the steps of the papal
throne, after which ceremony the new
Pope will put on his white silk skull
cap, transferring his own of purple
to the head of the kneeling chamber
lain, who is by this very fact apprised
that he is to be appointed Cardinal
But this is anticipating matters,
somewhat.
When in the death chamber, the
formalities connected with the attes-
tation of death are completed, the
Cardinal Camerlengo retires to one
of the neighboring halls in order to
make the official notifications for the
period of the Church's mourning. At