, 1922-01-21

"A NOAACkC dAC lASL AAilOAAlAcd W
Pope Benedict seemed to be running
out. were most impressive.
In h simply furnished room where
he lay. growing shorter OF breath and
moro rapid OF pulse. with apparently
nothing remaining 20 be do=e except
TO await the end. the attending cardi-
nails IN their purple cassocks. and the
papal penitentiary IN black. wers
kneeling in silent prayer.
The only sounds heard were the
sobs OF the pope's personal attendants.
tho low chanting OF the penitentiai
psalms. or Rn occasional word I'm de-
iirium from the pontir ns his malady
slowly undermined the wonderful
store OF V energy which was
still resisting its progress.
Outside the vatican. a crowd lin
gered all nigh. before the huge bronze
gate leading from the square OF 81.
Peters, everyone endcavoring to
gather from the persons going In and
out of the vatican whether His Holt
ness was faring we'll or III. Some of
he interested watchers took n posi-
tion near the Egyptian column in the
center to see II from the light in the
pontiff's room they could gain any
inkling OF what wa going on. Then
as daylight brose. the forms OF the
cardinals could he seen passing from
the adjoining roonH.
Pope Benedict XIV. the e5ath r,o-
~cessor of st. Peter as supreme head OF
the Roman Catholic church, began his
pontificatc on September 6, 1914. o
after Europe entered upon Its four
years OF war. Upon many occasions
during the war he e~ndeavored to bring
1.-THE beiligerent nations to a peace
agreement and thus to maintain the
title which had been a~ffectioneteiy be-
slowed upon him by a high dignitary
of his communion as "a messenger
God sent to bring peace"
Tho war between Italy and Austria.
in both of which peoples of the Catho-
lie religion predominhte. 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 then Emperor Will
liam his abhorrence OF a deed which
had shocked the world.
Tho successor of Piu x was said
to have combined the statesmanship
OF Pope Lee XIII. with the grace of
his immediate predecessor. He en-
deavored. Il Is said. to carry out the
ideals and policies OF those two great
churchmen. But the world war. which
broke the heart OF Plus Y. saddened
the first four years OF his pontificate
and prevented the fulfiliment of some
of his aspirations.
One OF the incidents OF his pontifical
career was the visit which President
Wilson paid to him on January 4. 1913.
S'hon tho president went to Rome prior
to the peace conference at Paris. So
cial and treaty questions were dis
cussed. II is said. during the private
audience at tho conclusion of which
Pope Benedict presented to his guest,
a handsome mosaic reproducing Guido
Rents famous picture OF Saint Peter,
valued at $4,000.
One of the smallest men physically
ever elected to the chair OF st. Peter,
the former Cardinal della Chiesa never
expected to be thus honored by the
sacred college and is said to have wept
when appraised of his election. He
would have preferred. he said. to re-
main a simple priest or. at most, Car
din.al and Archbishop of Bologna.
On the day Of his election he spoke
of the burden Of responsibility thrust
upon "one frail brain and expressed
his horror of the world conflict then
being waged n his hope that It
would quickly end Ono week after
his coronatirn. when the fisherman's
ring was placed upon his finger. he is
ued an encyclical to the episcopacy
OF this world In which rulers We're ex-
horted to put aside dissensions and to
enter into a council of peace with all
speed" Tho appeal fell on stony
ground. however. and later. on De-
cember IL. 1914. the vatican authori-
ties announced the pope's plan for a
Christmas truce was falling because
of the opposition of a certain power
Reports were that Russia and Turkey
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