Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-01-21
POPE BENEDICT DEAD;
PASSING COMES TODAY
Born In 1854.
,uonl,nued from paso 7

Du|H W lpJT'
Giacomo della ghiosl, the spiritual
head Of 300,00O000 Catholics, was
born of noble line at Pegli, Italy, on
Nov. q, 1854 His father was the
Marchese della Chiesa pronounced
KeeazO. He received his education
at the Capronican college and later at
tended the Academy Of Ecclesiastics.
Ordained &c the priesthood in 1873, h
soon attracted the attention OF Car.
dinal RampOla. who under Pope Leo
XIII. was the papal secretary OF state
He ACCOMPANIED Rampolla to Madrid
in 1883 when his patron was nunCiO,
remaining there until 1887 when he
returned to Rome upon the elevation
Of Rampolla to the cardinalate,
In 1901, after having served four
years rs secretary Of the nunciature
in Spain, ne was appointed secretary
Of tn CIPHER This position gave its
incumbent considerable authority, and
tho F"ne year MGR. della Chiesa was
named as consultor of the holy office
A notable promotion came to him
on Dec 16. 1907, when Pope Plus X.
appointed Della Chiesa as archbishop
succeed the late Cardinal Svampa
His administration Of this Office for
seven years was characterized, it Is
said, by prudence and diplomacy.
His conservation as an archbishop
was performed by Plus himCelf in the
Sistine Chapel. an honor so unusual
that it attracted worldwide attention
Archbishop dele Chiesa was made
cardinal in May, 1914, less than six
months before mounting the throne Of
st. Peters.
He took his ecclesiastical title from
Pope Benedict XIV, one of the ablest
pontiffs Of the church, who was born
in Bologna on March 81, 1851 and
died on May 3, 1853.
Small Body. Large Intellect.
Benedict XV,'s personal appearance
has been described as follows
"A man physically ill-favored, but
gifted with great intelligence; short
Of stature, ascGtically thin, with the
right shoulder raised above the left,
and giving one the impression of ex-
IRENE nervousness and weakness But
when he raised his head the visitors
instinctiyely felt that they were in
the presence Of d man equipped with
excetional intellectual powers and en-.
ergy. He reminded one of the noted
poet, Leopard, With an ample brow,
surrounded by coal black hair, black
eyes. lively and penetrating. large
mouth with thin lips full of express
sion, the pope conveyed the impress
sion CT a man of few friendships, but
these most sincere, devoted and last.
ing"
Always "a friend in need as a pre-.
late of his church once said of him, |
Pope Benedict demonstrated his read |
mess to avert hardship to poor peo
pies by advancing $1,000,000 to save
a financial institution of Rome from
bankruptcy in the spring of 1918. This |
was in kepeing with his reputation
from the time he was ordained a |
priest in 1873 to the day of his death |
When he was made a cardinal it was
with difficulty that he was able to
meet the expenses necessary to one in |
such a high Office and this was be. |
cause up to that time he had given |
his entire income to impoverished !
townfOlk.
Retained Neutrality.
During the late war every effort was
made to induce the pope to side with
one beligerent or another, but he |
went straight as an arrow, He made |
justice and right triumph over oppres-
sion There was not one CT Presi |
dent Wilson's fourteen points that was |
not included in the pontilfs peace con
ditions.
The pope was deeply grieved by the !
conflict which resulted from efforts
to obtain Irelands freedom He was
appealed to to interyent on behalf
OF the Irish republican movement, but
Archbishop Hayes, on returning from
the Vatican in 1921, said that he was
following the policy of neutrality and