The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-01-27
BELLS HERALDED POPEs
DEATH
TIDlNGS SOUNDED FROM FOUR HUNDRED
CHURCHES IN R0ME-ONLY HALF
HOUR BEFORE HE DEAD HOLY FATHER
WANTED TO ARISE AND DRESS
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT PAYS TRIBUTE.

Rome, Jan. 23.-Pope Benedict
breathed his last at $50 o'clock yes
terday morning.
The news was hurriedly commune
| Gated from the papal bedchamber to
/ the principal ante-chamber, and was
announced by Monsignor Pizzardo,
| deputy papal secretary of state, just
as the ponderous Hells of ST. Peters
overlooking the Vatican courtyard, be-
gan tolling the hour of six Then one
| by one the bells in Rome's 400 church
es Joined in the horologc symphony
that marked the passing of the head of
the Roman Catholic church.
The end came after long night of
/ intense agony and suffering, the pen
/ tiff now and again lapsing into deliri-
UNI throughout the long. anxious
night. Shortly before midnight he
! took a little nourishment which SEEM
ed momentarily to revive his spirits,
but within an hour afterwards he be-
gan to sink rapidly.
! His eyes were half closed as he
/ lapsed into Inconsistencies while
the terrible mastery which pneumonia
| had won over the Holy Fathers dog
ged resistance-a resistance which
staggered the members of the ponti
/ fical household and made them marvel
at the popes nerve stamina-now be-
gan its rapid inexorable extinction of
/ his slender hold on life.
! Accordingly, Cardinals Gasparri,
/ Samper and Pizzardo, and all the pom
tifical household, were notified that
I the end was rapidly approaching. Car
dinal Gasparri entered the bed cham
ber at $50 o'clock, passing through
| the ante-chamber, wearing deep fur
rows on the brow of his bowed head
and walking with short rapid steps to
| the bedside of the dying pontiff. He
| had been there but nine minutes be-
fore the pope breathed his last.
Only half an hour before he died,
/ his holiness tried to lift himself up
/ and wanted to dress himself, but he
was so weak he sank back on his pill
! low. His hands and feet already were
numb. and it was plainly seen that
deaths cold grip had begun it's un
releasing grasp upon the Holy Father.
1t was at this moment that it was de-
cided to call the pontifical family to
| his bedside. The royal guards were
sent out in due solemnity to notify the
papal secretary of state of the popes
hopeless condition.
After midnight the crowd which had
waited many long hours around the
courtyard diminished to only a few
monsignGri and attaches to the ponti-
fical court.
Swiss Guards were stationed at the
outer door to the pontifical apartment
on the top floor and on the inside of
the same door there were two i'm
mense paBal gendarmes. Then at the
entrance of the large ante-chamber,
4 at the other end of a short corridor,
y was stationed corporal of the Swiss
guard dressed in the ancient quaint
Raphaelian garb, who permitted no
one to pass unless he furnished the
proper credentials. Beyond this ante
chamber is the papal dining room and
one other small reception room, just
at the entrance of the papal bedcham-
her.
The formal announcement of the
pope's passing was the occasion for
scene of deep emotion. All those pres
ent in the ante=chamber wept, and the
prelates knelt in fervent prayer.
Shortly afterward Cardinal Gasparri
proceeded with the formal taking over
of temporary charge of the affairs of
the church He will be the nominal
head of the church until a new pope
is elected.
Towards Z o'clock the bells of St.
Peters tolled slowly the signal that
the pontiff had passed away. Masses
were celebrated at various altars in
fAt e.,
eyes of the throngs in the public
square turned towards the pope's
chamber. where the blinds were half
drawn.
\ The first person, outside of the i'm
mediate pontifical circle, to be inform
ed of the pope's death was Premier
Bouomi. who in turn communicated
the news to the king and other high
dignitaries of state, as well as to the
governors of the colonies. For the
first time in the history of-relations
between the Italian government and
the vatican, the government instruc-
ted that the flags be half-masted on all
all government offices in honor of the
death of the pontiff.
Already everyone is anticipating the
ceremonies of stately pomp, of which
the dead pontiffs will be the centre
during the next few days, beginning
with the gathering of the cardinals
} in the death chamber, in order to call
the silent figure three times by his
: Christian name before pronouncine
: him dead This will be followed by the
historic ceremony of removing the
fisherman's ring, which will be
drawn off the pope's finger by Cardi-
nal GasDarri, who will destroy it ant
r have it reset for Benedict's successor
5 Then will follow the elaborate pre-
g parations for the embalment of the
: body and for the three-days ceremony
: during which the body will lie il
state in ST. Peters chapel before buri
al