Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-02-13
Plus XII is
CROWNED POPE
IN BAS|L|CA
New Head of Catholic
Church Gives Bless
ing to 100000
Appears on Outer Balcony Des-
pite Cold Weather-6O,0OO in
st. Peters See Ceremony of
Coronati0n-Women Faint in
Crush

Rome, Feb. 12-(By A. P.)-Pius
XI was crowned Pope in the Basili-
ca OF st. Peters today amid scenes
of pomp and enthusiasm and in the
presence of princes and dignitaries
of the church, the diplomatic rep
resentatives OF foreign countries,
members of the Roman aristocracy
and . vast assemblage filing the
great structure to the very doors.
The ancient custom was carried out
with impressive ceremonies, md the
newly elected Pontiff now occupies
the throne of the first Pope reported
crowned. Leo III, who reigned from
795 to SIG.
With the exception of Leo NIII
and Benedict Nv, who. owing to
the strained relations existing be-
tween the Quirinal and the Vatican
in 1873 and the World war in 1914,
prefe rred to be crowned in the Sis
tine chapel, the coronation of all the
Popes elected since the erection of
the Basilica has been celebrated
there.
Plus NJ again blessed the crowds
from the outer balcony of st. Pc
ter's. this time nearly 200. 900 people
cheering Long live the Pope and
waving handkerchiefs. and admis-
sion tickets to tie vatican. which
had failed to find them room inside
the great church.
1t had been officially announced
that owing to the cold weather" the
Pope would not bless the crowds
from the outer balcony, but such
was the insistence and warmth of
the cheers. lasting three quarters of
an hour. that the pontiff finally de-
cided he must answer the call of
his children.
Thus it was long after l o'clock
in the afternoon when the Holy
Father appeared on the balcony.
surrounded by Cardinals Nanutelli
Gasparri. MERCER and Bourne, and
! bestowed the Apostolic benediction.
again waving the familiar little
shake of the hand as he disappeared
into the interior of the basiica.
Previous to this the $1,000 gath
!! cred within the edifce. having risen.
spontaneously had checred the Holy
Father as Cardinal Lcga placed
upon the Pope's head the tiara.
emblem of supreme sovereignty. The
| cheers continued for so long that
| Plus was compelled to make signs
with his hands as if seeking silence
that the ceremony might continue.
| Old Romans, who had witnessed the
coronation of several Popes, say that
the enthusiastic reception accorded
the present pope has never been
enualled in their memory.
! Good will. sincerity and hope were
the dominent emotions prevailing in
Rome as the new spiritual leader
among men was receiving the triple
, crown with the magnificent cere-
mony of the Roman Catholic
church, but with a tinge of The mat
| ter Of fact and business like man.
ner obtaining the world today. Silver
| bugles of the sixteenth century an
nounced the coronation, and the red
robes of the aged cardinals minglins
with the uniform Of the Swiss
guards recalled the middle ages. but
| the crush of spectators at the heavy
| bronze gates of formerly forbidden
vatican, revealed that something was
changed in Rome.
The crush inside the basilica was
! terrific, many women faintins; these
were carried to the emergency hos
pital installed in a small chapel to
the rear of st. Peters.
| Crowds thrice as large as that
within the church filled the immense
| St Peters square. and when the Pope
came out on the balcony after the
coronation ceremony it was estimat-
ed that nearly 100000 persons had
! gathered in the immediate vicinity
of ST. Peters.