The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-01-25
Pope Benedict Dies
of Pneumonia
HEAD OF ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH CALLED BY DEATH
SATURDAY MORNING.
BODY LIES IN STATE.
MUCH SPECULATION AS TO
SUCCESSOR; CARDINAL MAFFI
STRONGLY SUPPORTED.

Pope Benedict XIV died OF pneumonia
Saturday morning, January %. Ac-
cording to official notices from the
Vatican, death came to the Pope at
six o'clock after long hours of intense
suffering and weakness. His body,
robed in full canonicals, now lies In
state in the throne room of the Vati-
can.
In speaking of Pope Benedict who
is mourned both as the head of his
own church and as man possessed of
spiritual force felt outside his own
church, the Minneapolis Tribune
makes the following statement regard
ing his pontifcate.
"Pope Benedict XIV, supreme head
Of the Roman Catholic church, began
his pontifcate Sept. 6, 1914, soon after
Europe entered on it's four years Of
war. On many occasions during the
war he endeavored to bring the bellige-
rent nations to peace agreement and
thus maintain the title which had been
affectionately bestowed on him by a
high dignitary of his communion as "a
messenger God sent to bring peace"
"The war between Italy and Austria,
in both of which peoples of the Catho
lie religion predominate, was particu-
larly a great sorrow to the pope.
Those near to him said he deprecated
the German violation of Belgium.
When the Lusitania was sunk he tele-
graphed to the kaiser his abhorrence
of deed which had shocked the world
"The successor of Plus x was said
to have combined the craftsmanship of
Pope Leo XIII with the grace of his
immediate predecessor. He endeavor-
ed, it is said, to carry out the ideals
and policies of those two great church
men. But the World war, which broke
the heart of Plus x, saddened the first
four years of his pontificate and pre-
vented fulfillment of some of his aspir-
ations.
"One of the smallest men physically
ever elected to the chair of st. Peter,
the former Cardinal della Chiesa neve-'
expected to be thus honored by the
Sacred College, and is said to have
wept when apprised of his election.
He would have preferred, he said, t.
remain simple priest, or, at most,
cardinal and archbishop of Bologna.
''On the day of his election he spok9
of the burden of responsibility thrust
upon zone frail brain,' and expresse
his horror of the world conflict ther
being waged and his hope that it would
quickly end. One week after his core
nation, when the Fisherman's Rim
was placed on his finger, he issued rn
encyclical to the episcopacy of tha
world in which rules were eyhorted tt
put aside dissensions and to "enter IN
to council Of peace with all speed Z
The appeal fell on stony ground"
'The first person outside of the l7'-
mediate pontifcal circle to be inform I
of the pope's death was Premier Bon-
omi, who in turn communicated tha
news to the king and other high dir
nitaries of state, as well as to the gcv-
ernors of the colonies. For the FIR t
time in the history of relations b.
tween the Italian government and th,
vatican, the government instruct !
that the flags be halfmasted on =
government offices in observance of
the death of the pontiff.
"Already everyone is recalling tha
ceremonies Of stately pcmp of viii I
the dead pontiff now will be the cent?
during the next few days, beginnir g
with the gathering of the cardinals in
the death chamber. They then W
call the silent figure three times hv
his Christian name befnre pronounce y
him officially dead. This will be f.
lowed by the historical ceremony
removing the fshe~man's ring, VIII: 4
will be drawn off the pope's fingers ;
Cardinal Gasparri, who will destroy i
and have it reset for Benedict's sue
cessor.
'sThen will follow the elaborate p""
parations for the embalmment of tha
body and for the three days ceremor =
during which the body will lie in state
in st. Peters chapel, before burial.
Speculation already is rife concern
Continued on last page)