Kentucky Irish American., 1914-09-05
Now Used Exclusively to Seal
Documents of the Holy
See.
Its Surrender and the Cruel In
suit That France Offered
Plus XII.
MISTAKE THAT RING is BROKEN

The ceremony of verifying Pope
Plus death began by placing on the
ground, at the left of the deceased
Pontiff, velvet cushion of violet
color. On this cushion the Cardinal
Camerlengo knelt for few moments
and prayed in a low tone. Rising
from his knees, he bent over the
body, whose face, yelled with linen,
has been laid bare for his inspection.
With silver mallet of small size he
struck the venerable forehead three
times, and speaking in a clear, loud,
solemn voice, called the departed
Pontin by name. Then turning to
the persons present, he pronounced
| these words: "Sanctissimus Pater.
rus Decimus. we're mortuus est"
!. e.. The Most Holy Father, Plus
X, is really dead" Having uttered
these melancholy words, the Gamer
lengo knelt down again and repeated
aloud the De Profundis and the
prayer Absolye-all the persons
present taking part in the prayer.
The body was then sprinkled with
holy water and the face once more
yelled with white linen. Then the
chief prelate of the Papal chamber
brought forward the fisherman's
ring on silver plate and gave it to
the Cardinal Camerlengo. This be-
ing done, the notary of the apostolic
chamber read a written declaration
that the Pope was dead-that this
was his corpse, and that the ring
worn by the deceased has been
transferred to the Camerlengo.
Before the confiscation of the
States OF the church it was customary
Tor the Camerlengo to go out of the
cnamber at this moment and send
orders to the Mayor or Senator of
Rome to toll the bell suspended in
the Capitol, which Swinging slow
with sullen roar" never flung it's
tones to the wind except on the
death of Pope, which was reserved
exclusively for those solemn occa-
sions, and which, by its lugubrious
melody, vibrating sadly over the
metropolis, announced the great and
melancholy tidings to the mourning
and awe-struck city But the con-
fiscation of the Papal territory rem
dered this ceremony impossible.
The fisherman's ring alluded to |
above is not broken on this occasion,
as has often been asserted. 1t is |
transmitted to the assembled Car
dinals when the Sacred College first |
meets during the novendial OBJ
sequies of the departed Pontiff. This |
renowned "ring of the fisherman" |
is not commonly worn by the Pope. |
In ordinary life the Sovereign
Pontiff wears a ring enriched with a |
precious stone. which is analogous
to the episcopal ring comomnly worn
by Bishops. 1t is not the ring of st. |
Peter. When he officiates the Pope
wears what is tenmed the Pontifical |
ring, which sparkles with a large
diamond encircled with emeralds |
and rubies. The ring of the fisher |
man is used exclusively to seal docu- |
ments of the Holy See. Upon what |
is called the "bezel" of this ring, |
made of gold, there is an engraved |
figure of St. Peter standing in a |
boat and flinging with two hands a |
net into the sea. Hence it is called |
the fisherman's ring.
In 1909, when the eagles of |
France were floating in the winds |
OF Rome and the sacred city was
occupied by the army of Napoleon
l., Plus VII. was ordered by Gen.
Radet to surrender the fisherman's
ring, which at his election in 1906 |
the Sacred Conclave had confided to
his sacred keeping. This command |
was cruel insult, which at first the |
Sovereign Pontiff refused to comply
with. The French Government
would be enabled, by means of this
ring, he feared, to issue dangerous
documents, prejudicial perhaps to
faith and morals, and lend them the
sanction of the fisherman's seal.
When forced finally to surrender il
Plus VII. obliterated or altered the
engraving or stamp, in the view
perhaps of rendering IL useless to his
enemies. This seal, defaced In this
manner, was forwarded to Rome by
the French General then in command
Of the army Of occupation.
Plus VII, in the absence of the
ring, made use of an
iron seal, engraved with the figures
OF Saints Peter and Paul, and in
scribed with the words "Pro annulo
In lieu of the fisher
mans ring" The fisherman's ring
was kept In Paris until
Napoleon I. was overthrown and the
Bourbons restored, when Louis
XVIII. presented II to the Sovereign
Pontiff when quitting his prison I'M
Fontainebleau. This ring is used
exclusively TO seal the briefs. The
bulls. which are more important
documents. are stamped with the
leaden seal of the ancient parch-