Evening star., 1939-02-12
Mobiles Guard Pope Plus Bier,
Moved From Sistine Chapel to
Bosi|ico in Holy Procession
Cardinals Convene
In Preparation
For Election
Nv the Associated Press.

Tie, lay III QcdIAi eoAAoA
Chapel of the Sacrament, lighted by
"a candles and watched by tour
noble guards.
His body had been borne from the
Sistine Chapel to st. Peters WIN
rich. medieval ceremony on the very
dav he had expected to address the
Italian bishops on the 10Th annlVer-
sarv of the Lateran accord, the pact
between the church and Italian state
which gave him the name OF 'the
pope of the Cancellation"
The removal Of his bier from lhe
Sistine Chapel on the shoulders OIL
eight attendants was made In rev.
erent and picturesque procession
within the walls OF the Vaucah.
Cardinals in Session.
It followed the first general con-
rreeation of the cardinals, the
princes of the church, in preparation
for the conclave which will elect
the next pontift.
Thirtv-one of the g. cardinals at
tended the session, held while prince
and peasant we're passing by the
nontiffs body in the Sistine Chapel,
and sWore to observe the conStltu-
ton which governs the period untli
q new pope shall have been selected.
The conclave probably will be con-
vened February %, the last day ny
Pope Plus own order on which II
NAV be held, to give American ana
other foreign cardinals the greatest
possible time to reach the Vallcan'
AS the cardinals met, the 1tallan
bishops who had been summoned by
the Pope to hear him speak on the
anniversary of the Lateran accoro
were given the contents OF his IN
tended address.
Public Pays Homage Tomorrow.
Thousands of the faithful, some OF
whom at best caught only gllmpses
of the ceremony today in which the
Pope's body was borne from tne
Sistine Chapel, tomorrow will nave
a chance to pay their homage 10
the pontiff in the basilica and 10
kiss his slppered foot.
The first of nine funeral services
also will be held tomorrow In ST.
Peters, where burial will take place
Wednesday.
Several thousand persons visited
the bier this morning in the Slstlne
Chapel. The chapel was open 10
the public for five hours except Tor
a brief period when Crown Prince
IJmberto and other Italian dlgnl-
taries went to pray beside the oooy.
soon after the Crown Prince had
left. the third son of former King
Alfonso of Spain. Juan, Prince OF
the Asturias, visited the chapel 10
nav his tribute.
Thousands of persons began col
lecting In the great st. Peters
square at midday in advance OF the
removal of the Pope's body TO 81.
Peters.
$4,000 Outside Gate.
Nv the time the bells OF the ba-
silica began tolling at 3 pm. as
sign the procession had started an
estimated $4,000 persons were crowd
ed outside the grilled portlco gaze
ONLY a few hundred were able 10
glimpse the ceremony through gates
and later through the baslhca
doorway.
Red-robed cardinals, purple-robed
bishops, members of the papal court
in ecclesiastical robes or rich uni
forms. and diplomats and other dlg-
nitaries in formal dress marched IN
the procession. So, too, did simple
priest as a symbol of humility, ana
so did servants who had waited on
the Pope. Among them was his
thin and old valet, Chevaller Glo-
vanni Malvestiti.
The only member of the Popes
family observed in the cortege was
his nephew. Count Franco Rattl.
The pontiff's grief-stricken sister,
Donna Camilla Ratti, was not seen.
The stately procession was pre-
ceded by Palatine Guards, by mace
bearers with maces reversed IN
mourning, and by the Vatican cnolr
chanting I'll Miserere. Then 1ol-
lowed the mobiles of the antecham-
her. headed by the major domo,
after whom came Prince Colonna'
assistant at the threshold, all escort
ed by Noble Guards.
Diplomatic Corps Next.
Next came the diplomatic corps,
bishops and prelates with SWISS
guards. Other Swiss guards, with
swords reversed, and contessors OF
St. Peters, bearing tall, lghteo
candles, escorted the bier.
Twenty-four cardinals with the
cardinal dean at their head came
next. Entering st. Peters through
the portico, the cortege passed be-
fore the altar of confession, where
a prelate gave absolution. The pro-
cession then moved along the right
aisle of the basilica, passing through
the chapel of the trinity to the
chapel of the sacrament. The cholr
sang The Resurrection and the
Life"
The eight bearers of the bier low
cred it on the funeral couch so that
the body rested inside the wrought
iron gates of the chapel, but with
the feet outside so the faithful later
could approach and kiss the Pope's
slipper.
Four noble guards were left to
watch the bier, surrounded by "a
tall candles in great gold candelabra.
Planned Visit to st. Peters.
Most of the colorfully- church.
mea and be-medaled laity who
marched in the procession had
planned to come to st. Peters to-
morrow to join with the Pope in
celebrating the 18th anniversary of
his coronation.
Hundreds of the faithful who
thronged st. Peters Square today,
hoping to see the Pope in death,
had expected to receive his blessing
tomorrow from an outside balcony
Of the edifice.
The anniversary of the Lateran
(see POPE, Page A-4D
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