Evening star., 1939-02-14
Pope Is Buried
In basi|ica
Of ST. Peters
Duce, Royal Family
To Pay Tribute at
Mass Friday
Nv the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
VATICAN CITY, Feb. 14.-Pope
Plus XII was buried today beneath
the great central altar of st. Peters
Cathedral.
His triple casket, wrapped in red
wool, was lowered to a final resting
place in moving, semi-private cere-
monies lasting an hour and half.
The last rites reached a climax as
cardinals and bishops, many of
them aged and most of them ap-
pointees of Pope Plus, filed slowly
past the casket.
Over it each made the sign of
the cross.
Then the casket was carried in a
procession. preceded by crucitlx
bearer and long lines of lighted
candles.
Cortege Halts Before Altar.
Here framework with ropes and
pulleys had been erected beside a
sunken altar floor, which was level
with the cathedral grottoes.
The casket was lowered to a
funeral carriage. While the choir
sang it's last notes the casket was
rolled into the grottoes to rest near
the tombs of Plus XI's two imme-
diate predecessors, Benedict XIV
and Plus x.
His tomb was under the great
altar where only a Pope celebrates
mass.
At this altar, during his 17-year
pontif1cate, Plus had officiated at
the church's most solemn and
moving ceremonies. Hundreds of
thousands of the faithful had
watched him there-first in robust
health and recently weakened by
illness as he performed his duties
as holy father of the Catholic
world.
Today's entombment ritual, con-
Quoted behind closed doors, con-
trasted strikingly with the pomp of
the living Popes appearances in st.
Peters. The great crowds of those
appearances-often numbering more
than 50,000-were missing.
Few Invited Mourners.
There were comparatively few in
vited mourners-cardinals, bishops
and other prelates of the papal
court, diplomats and papal aristo-
Gratis.
Lacking, toe, were the fanfare of
silver trumpets and the excited cries
of viva II Papa C"long live the
Pope'D which customarily greeted
the living pontiff on his entrance
into the cathedral.
Today's ceremonies began soon
after 4 pm. Go am. E. S. t.. Wit
nesses already were in their places,
the women wearing black wells, the
laymen clad in tailcoats with black
vests and white ties and with papal
decorations on their chests, the
papal gendarmes, the noble and
palatine guards in their brilliant
uniforms.
On Friday Premier Mussolini and
the italian royal family will pay
tribute to the Pope, who re-estab-
1ished peace between the Vatican
and the Italian state.
On that day, proclaimed one of
national mourning, the Fascist
Grand Council, King Vittorio
Emanuele, the royal court and the
diplomatic corps accredited to the
King, including United States Am
bassador William Phillips, will at.
tend mass for Plus XII.
Majordomo Absent.
The aged Msgr. Arborio Mella
SAINT Ella, papal majordomo who
would have played an important
role in the burial ritual today, was
absent because of a fever, induced
by emotional strain. His manifold
labors of the last few days had COM
PEELED him to take to his bed and
his functions were assumed by the
prefect of apostolic ceremonies.
Msgr. Carlo Respighi.
At his signal the body of Plus XII
was lifted down from the high bier
in the Chapel of the Sacrament, be-
fore which hundreds of thousands
of the faithful had passed since
Sunday.
The pontiff was clad in a scarlet
soutane over white robe, a bishops
gold mitre and red slippers and
gloves.
A procession similar to that in
which Pope Plus was carried Satur.
day from Sistine Chapel to st.
Peters formed before the Chapel
of the Sacrament.
Platoons Of papal gendarmes were
at its head. Then came the Chap
ter Of st. Peters, carrying a cruci-
fix and long, lighted candles which