Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-26
MERCER TO HAVE
NATIONAL FUNERAL
Third in History of Belgium
to Be Held in Brussels
Cathedral Thursday.

by the Associated Press.
BRUSSELS. January 26.-Cardinal
MERCER, primate OF Belgium, is to be
honored with a national funeral in the
Cathedral of Ste. Gudule here Thurs
day morning. 1t will he the third such
funeral III the history of Belgium. The
body will be brought to the Cathedra'
from Maline, and King Albert and
Queen Elizabeth. together with the
crown prince and other members of
the royal household, high government
officials and members of the diplo-
matte corps viii attend the ceremony.
Soldiers viii line the route from the
railway station to the cathedral. Aft
er the ceremony at the cathedral the
body will be returned to MaliueS Tor
the entombment in the crypt - the
St. Romhaut Cathedral.
Interesting stories are being told of
the life OF Cardinal MERCER. II MAS Il
life marked by the Strictest asceticiSm.
He used to rise daily at o'clock in
the morning and by $50 would be in
the private chapel of the Archepisco-
pal Palace. where he knelt in silent
meditation for whole hour. He said
mass daily at $50 am His breakfast
consisted OF bread, without butter, and
coffee. Then he worked uuinterrupt-
eddy until pm. when he had a sim
pie luncheon. ut which he drank
water. He SerN cd Vine only to guests
and one bottle was made To do for
six persons.
Saved Carefully.
The cardinal was extremely thrifty.
Most of his manuscripts We're written
on the backs of circulars or prospec-
fuses
Il love to spend freely, whenever
necessary, but l hate to waste a sou,"
was one of his sayings.
After luncheon the primate visited
the blessed sacrament. and then
worked until c o'clock in the evening.
His work was Interrupted only when
he stopped TO sip hot milk. He dined
meagerly at 100 o'clock, and went to
bed at 10 o'clock, after having said
the rosary with members of his house
hold
The cardinals bedroom was like a
monastery cell, with WhiteWa shed
walls and uuCarpeted. \ cruCitiX over
the bed was the sole ornament. He
slept on a straw pallet. He disliked
noise of any sort. saying that it dis
t,Irbed his meditations.
Whenever l get too old To fulfill
my duties" he used to say, Il will
enter an abbey where silence is the
rule"
In search of solitude the cardinal
sometimes left the palace to visit
small country house he owned near
Brussels and which he called the
small hermitage" There he did much
important work and snatched brief
rests from the cares of his ministry.
Imposing Ceremony Expected.
The national obsequies on Thursday
will be the most imposing ceremony
Belgium has seen since the signing
of the Armtstice ending the World
War. Vast throngs are expected to
come from all parts of the country.
The final arrangements have vir-
tually been completed. They required
delicate negotiations. On the one
hand there was no precedent for hold
ing a national funeral outside the
capital, and, moreover, the govern
nnent demurred at the cost of trans
porting TO Malines the members of
Parliament, judges, officials and dip
lomats.
On the other hand, the rubfic of the
Catholic Church requires that the
requiem preceding interrnent shall be
celebrated in the metropolitan church,
which is in Malines and not in Brus-
sells.
To reconcile these conflicting con-
ditions it was arranged that the cere-
mony in Brussels should take. the
form of a combined memorial service
and a national tribute, and for the
interment proper to be carried out
with all the pomp of the rubric at
Malines the following day.