The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-20


for the cardinals from several coun-
ties to arrive.
The rising sun which gilded the
image of St Joseph on the wall by
the pontiff's bed, found the Franciscan
penitentiaries keeping the death
side, ST. Peters square. which had been
filled throughout the night with per-
sons Of every rank until the death OF
the pope was announced was deserted.
Monsignor Zampini OF the pope's
household, assisted by the secretary
and the pontiffs valet laid out the body.
placed the crucifix in the hands and
stationed lighted candles about the
bed. 1t 30 happened that Cardinal
Della Volpe, the chamherlain: Serafino
Vannutelli, dean of the sacred college.
and Antonio Agliardi. chancellor Of the
Holy Roman church, were absent from
Rolne, but it was announced that Car
diral Della Volpe would return today
.no Immediately upon his arrival invite
the members of the sacred college to
decide upon the funeral ceremonies.
which will occupy nine days.
Interest in Rome when the dying con-
dition of the pontin was admitted was
intense. Throughout the night car
riages crowded the vicinity of the Vat
lean bringing diplomats and noblemen.
The Knights Of Malta mingled with
bishops. priests. monks and nuns.
tongues. Those who were admitted to
the palace climbed the royal staircase
to the papal antechamber, where Swiss
guards in their multi-colored uniforms
paraded solemnly up and down. After
midnight. through instructions person
ally impaired by Cardinal Merry del
Val, entrance to the apostolic palace
was forbidden while those within were
not permitted to leave the place or
communicate with those outside. The
telephone line from the Vatican was
disconnected and from then on nothing
of what transpired within was known
to the public until the death of his holi-
ness was Officially announced.
Throughout Wednesday Doctors
Marchiafava and Amici devoted their
utmost energies to stimulating their
patient and keeping him alive. The
grave danger and some of them who
entered the sick room described i'm
pressive and heart-rending 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."
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 In times past
His physician, Docto. Marchiafava,
ordered his holiness to bed August 16.
when it was announced that the war
and the intense heat in Rome had
combined to depress him. In bed he
continued to dream Of the conflict by
night and to discuss 1t by day.
IT shall not cease to fmplore God to
put a stop to this inhuman butchery.
he declared. His physicians had to
deal with this mental condition as
well as physical suffering. Arrange
ments were made by which Cardinal
| Merry Del Val. the papa1 secretary OF
state. would render his holiness a
daily report on the war situation. The
pope desired to see iome way in which
| he might use his influence to check
the bloodshed and he, was the more
affected because any action seemed
useless. 90. ,a
His Call for Public Prayers.
At the commepcs1nent OF the Eu.
ropean crisis ne .haE addressed al
I exhortation to all the Catholics OF the
world, asking them to lift their souls
toward Christ, who alone was able te
aid, and he called upon the clergy t6
offer public prayers.
The pope's views on peace. embodied
in an allocution delivered at the con-
sistory at which he created thirteen
new cardinals last May. constituted
such a remarkable document that the
Carnegie peace union, decided to begin
| among the clergy Of the Roman Catho-
| lie church its educational activities IL
! behalf Of disarmament and arbitration
| by sending to each of the 5000 priests
of the United States and Canada. g
copy Of this allocution. In it the pops
| referred to "men of distinction and
force planning schemes for preventing
the calamities of revolutions and the
slaughter Of war and for insuring the
blessing Of peace" which. coupled with
the fact that he spoke at length with
the three American cardinals, Gibbons
Farley and O'Cornell-was interpreted
as referring to the efforts of President
Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan II
behalf of universal peace.
| To-Day he said, peace or war r.
| society and the state does not depend
so much on the rulers as on the multi.
tudes. Deprived Of the light of truth
revealed by God. unused to the dis
cipline of Christ. what wonder II the
multitudes, the prey OF blind passions
rush to the common ruin, instff-atec
by the clever agitator power who seel
nothing but their own advantage"
| Sketch of His Life.
Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto. know
to the world as Pope Plus x. wa;
1903, and during his occupancy of hi
exalted office as head of the Roman
Catholic church, he was confronted
with some of the most momentum
problems, religious and governmental
with which the holy see has had t.
deal in modern times.
Pope Plus was born on June z, 1885
at REESE, in the Venetian provinces
the first child of Gian-Battista Sarto
| q postman, and his wife Margherita
Giuseppe's early career was influenced
by the village priest who took q likinl
for the boy. taught him to read AM
write and drummed into the youthful
head the rudiments of Latin. At tn
age Of IL years he entered the semi
nary at Castelfranco. not Tar from hi
birthplace, and for four years ever.
day he tramped. to school, usuall
barefooted. until he reached the out
skirts Of the village. where he woul'