Evening star., 1955-11-21

The announcement was mat
the Vatican press Office, upon a
tariat of state. The secretariat
normally would make such state
Yllent only with the personal au-
thorization of the Pope.
Casimiri told newsmen that
they could state that "respon-
sible Vatican circles" confirm the
report of the vision published
last week in Oggi today, the
largest italian weekly magazine,
Confirmation Authorized
The Vatican press Office is
sued this communique:
This press service office has
been authorized to confirm what
has been announced by the
weekly illustrated 'Oggi' in its
issue of November "a about the
vision of the Holy Father in
the course of his illness of De-
cember, 1854"
The Oggi article said:
"The secret about the episode
was kept until now. and only
the affectionate indiscretion of
one of those knowing it enabled
us to learn and tell of the mar
velous episode, which undoubt-
edly viii deeply move the Catho-
lie faithful all over the world" :"
'Tne Holy Father is perfectly
sure he saw Jesus-it was no
dream; in that moment he was
fully awake and clear-minded.
s'On the following day, when
it seemed there we're no hopes
left, when the worlds newspa-
pers already had been circulate
Inn with forecasts of a forth
coming grave catastrophe, the
ailing Pope started to improve
in such a sudden manner that
many people considered it a
miracle" !"
Began Reciting Prayer
Oggi said that on December 2,
1854. when the Pope's illness
from a gastric disturbance
reached a climax. the Pontiff be-
gan reciting the prayer "Anima
Christi (Soul of Christi"
When he came to the invoca-
tion "in horae mortis nneae, voca
me Tin the hour Of my death,
call mel" the Pope saw "the
sweet person of Jesus Christ at
his bedside" said the magazine.
In that moment" said the
magazine, "tle Holy Father be-
heved that the teacher came to-
cali him to himself, and. Sc
renely answering to the call, he
continued the prayer: 'Jube me
venire ad te torder me to come
to you1." Jesus, however. did
not come to take him. but TO
console him and give him the
certainty that his hour had not
yet come "
The announcement of the
Pope's vision recalled the an
nouncement three years ago by
Federico Cardinal Tedeschini,
archpriest of st. Peters Basilica,
that Pope Plus saw vision Of
the Virgin Mary in October. 1851.
Saw Unusual Sun Rays
Cardinal Tedeschini told a
throng commemorating the ap-
pearance Of the Virgin years be-
fore at the Portuguese shrine OF
Fatima that the Pope had wit
messed the same vision while
walking in the Vatican gardens.
Later, Vatican sources said
privately that the Pope had not
seen a vision of the Virgin but
rather the same unusual rays OF
the sun which we're reported to-
have accompanied the vision Of
the Virgin to the little shepherd
children of Fatirna.
The Vatican has never ex-
planned officially the statement
by Cardinal Tedeschini nor has
it ever made the private explain
alton given to newsmen either
official or public.
Various saints of the church
have had visions of Jesus. ac-
cording to Roman Catholic writ
ings, usually. however, in the
form of the infant Jesus. Among
them were st. Anthony Of Padua
and st. Christopher.
st. Teresa Of the infant Jesus,
who died at Alba de Tonnes,
Spain. on October 4. 1852, had,
according to the Catholic Ency-