Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-24
Thousands View Body
Of Pope Benedict XIV
tcontinaed From Rag. one,


eials. the representatives OF foreign
nations, high prelaies aud others
Then, late in the afternoon. in gorge.
Gus procession composed of pala-
tine guards, gendarmes, the Swiss
guard, secret chamberlains and hon,
orary chamberains, the body wa,
solemnly transported down the royal
staircase, through Clementine hall,
into the throne room, where il was
placed on a raised cataialque, before
which the whole diplomatic corps
paid devout reverence.
The Sacristan Zampini gave alb.
solution and the cardinals sprinkled
holy water, while the penitentiarics
chanted prayers, answered by the
kneeling onlookers. Immediately
afterward. the doors were opened to
the multitudcs DESTROYS OF looking
for the last time on the departed
pontiff.
Cardinals Gather.
The sacred congregation convened
yesterday morning, when the cardi-
rails were informed OF the pope's
death. With the exception OF Cardi-
nal Gasparri, the papal secretary OF
state, they gathered in Benedict's
private apartment. Gasparri, in due
and solemn form, escorted by the
Swiss guard in full dress and accom-
panied by the prelates and acolytes
of the reverend apostolic chambers,
entered the apartments a few min
utes later. He will administer the
holy see during the interregnum.
Cardinal Gasparri, surrounded by
the cardinals, then proceeded to YER
lily the death OF Benedict, extending
over the lifeless form silver wand
and crying out: "Giacomo! Gia-
como! Giacomo"
He opened the certificate of death
and declared; "Dominus papa nos
ter mortuus est" thus announcing
officially the pope's death.
On leaving the pontifical cham
bers, Cardinal Gasparri, still escort
ed by the Swiss guard, descended
to the first floor, where the sacred
congregation convened, commencing
its deliberations at 10 o'clock.
The official and semiofficial vat
lean. organs gave 6 o'clock as me
time of the pope's death, and the
Rene newspapers do likewise.
Tells Of Last Moments.
Monsignor 'Pizzardo, in describing
the last moments. said to the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent who was
the only American newspaper rep
lesentative admitted to the ante
chamber:
when the end was near, | was
called from my chamber and hurried
quickly to the pontiff's bedroom.
That was a few minutes before 6
o'clock. / saw the holy father
breath his last. As the other pre-
late knelt beside the silent and lifeless
form, | asked that I might tell the
news to the press. thereupon hur-
ried to the ante chamber, where, sew
eral newspaper men were awaiting
events, and informed them that the
pope had died."
The end came after an anxious
night of intense agony and suffering,
the pontiff now and then lapsng into
delirium. Shortly before midnight he
took little nourishment which
seemed momentarily to revive his
spirits, but, within an hour he began,
10 sink rapidly. At lis DR.. BATHS
tint told, The Associated, Press cor
respondent the end was approa ching,
that already his hands and nose felt
cold. ~ Z
From that period the pope neared
the end. Breathing became an
agonizing task, as the pontiff, who
had resisted the severe lung and
throat congestion, was now finally
too weak to overcome the over.
whelnlng attack.
His eyes were half closed as he
lapsed into Inconsistencies, while
the terrible mastery which pneu-
monia had won over the holy faith
cr's logged resistance, now began its
rapid extinction of his slender hold
on life.
The formal announcement Of the
pope's passing was the, occasion for
a scene of deep emotion. All those
present in the antechamber wept and
the prelates knelt in prayer. Shortly
afterward Cardinal Gasparri proceed
ed with the formal taking over of the
temporary charge of the affairs Of
the church.
Speculation Rife.
Speculation already is rife con-
rerning a successor. Cardinal Gas
parri is among those most promi-
nently mentioned, although the Sc
lection of papal secretary is almost
without precedent.
The College of Cardinals is I'M
derstood to be divided into two fair
ly equal groups on the pope's- sue
eessor. The groups represent those
who wish the next pope to come
from outside Italy and those who
think he should be native At the
moment the latter group appears to
be in the ascendency, although GER
tain members of the sacred college
show a strong liking for Cardinal
Merry Del Val, native of Spain.
Among the native Italians, Cardi-
nal Maffi of Pisa is the most strong
ly supported in Italian centers. but
his advanced modern ideas are like
ly to arouse opposition, particularly
in the group headed by Cardinal
Merry Del Val. 1t is considered pos
Lila 4Lnf hacn,tso nf Ahaea 4,.c On