The Washington herald., 1922-01-27
Foreign Influences Work
For Selection Sympa-
thetic to Interests.
THRONGS ATTEND
BURIAL CEREMONY
Body of Pontiff Placed in
Wooden Coffin for Re-
mOval to st. Peters.

hohE jail SO.-- :" tue
services for Pope Benedict ending
on February I, the conclave for th'
election of his successor will open
on February 2. This day also has
been chosen for the reopening "
the Italian Parliament, which, 1t Is
said, will devote its first day to
commemorative services in honor Of
the Pope, another departure from
the traditional division of the
church and state.
As athe conclave approaches III
foreign nationalistic influence work
ing on the Vatican to elect a Pope
sympathetic to their interests arc
more and more discernible.
The members of the Italian Par
lament. the majority of whom ia
yor a rapprocehment with the Vati-
can. now. as in everything else in
ternational. are seeing the activities
of France. An influential member
OF the Parliament today admitte'
to a Tribune correspondent it was
common talk among the deputies
that France Is working to defn'
the Benedict group, hoping 70 get
some one sympathetic to French
policies in the Orient.
French RhineIand Plan.
France also is accused of trying
to swing through the papacy. the
establishment of a Rhineland re
public. where the people are pre-
ponderantly Catholic with distant
view of annexing this German ter
ritory TO France. On the defensive
side, France. as the sponsor o.
Catholic interests In the Orient
must oppose the reconciliation
the Vatican and Italy. which, II =
is effected, gives the latter grounds
to demand the right Of sponsors"
with the attendant national sdvan-
tages. ..,.
Although the candidate of the
nti-rapproehement group. led by
Cardinal Merry Del Val, papal secre--
tary of state under Plus Y. it Is eN-
pected that he will refuse to 'meddle
in national politics in any way. For
this reason il is expected he win
because there will be no danger OF
his supporting the italian national
interests against Paris.
ne AIutIlNdH NhN
only ones outside of italy who are
said to have the slightest chance,
as the United States is detached frors
the petty pickering of the European
political intrigues and is open on all
national questions.
Cardinal Gibbons Was Favorite.
Several cardinals at the Vatican
have repeatedly expressed their re-
gret for the death of Cardinal Glib
bons, who they say would have been
the logical successor to tide the
church over its present difficulties.
The Catholic press emphatically
denies that politics, which is over
shadowing all other news in the
local press, has penetrated into the
Vatican or in any way affects the
election of the new pontiff.
Starting at p. M, the funeral
services were finished an hour later.
A vast throng stood outside the
cathedral during the ceremonies.
The burial service was begun
when the cardinals of the Sacred
College, each carrying a lighted
candle. began arriving by interior
corridors and stairways from the
Sistine Chapel in the adjoining Vat
ican. They were escorted by, the
patriarchs and heads Of the relig-
ious orders. and took their seats
in the Sacrament Chapel. where the
body of Pope Benedict was still ly-
ing in state. Then there arrived
from the sacristy of st. Peters.
where 1t had formed, the procession
Of the canons. singing the Miserere.
In the chapel three separate
groups were formed by the rela-
tives. personal servants and domes-
tic prelates of the late Pontift. The
Swiss Guards were massed in the
background. while the Noble and
Palatine Guards weref grouped
closely about the bier.
The Pope's private chaplains and
secretaries advanced toward the
bier, knelt. and then slowly lifted
the body of the Pontiff and placed
1t In a wooden coffin lined with
white silk. Cardinal Merry Del Val.
as archpriest of the Basilica of St.
Peters descended from the altar
with all his assistants and took his
place in front of the coffin.
The bier, borne by the four pri-
Vate chapiains OF the Pope, was
.iSeheSu Wy a ueIdCnment OF the
SNoote Guards, while the canons of
W. Peter's acted as an escort Of
honor 70 the Sacred College.
slowly. as the bier moved out of
the sacrament Chapel into the main
pouy OF thc Basilica, the members
OF the Sacred College fell into line
two by two. then the members Of
the Pope's family, all dressed in
deepest mourning. a,d finally
priests and clergy.
The procession moved slowly to
the singing of the sistine Choir. aco
companied by the huge organs of
81. Peters: The spectacle was seen
IN It's full grandeur when. after
crossing from the right to the left
nave of the Basilica. II swung un-
der the great. central nave, hating
for few seconds in front of the
bronze statue of st. Peter. and next
In front of the confessional, where
the statue of Pope Clement XIII
kneels in the act of prayer.