Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-04

lie ROPE pOuy lay III oJatc
In an antechamber. The body
was dressed In red pontifical
robes. with a golden bishops
inter on the head and red
slippers on the feet. The cata-
falque was low, resting only 2
feet from the floor.
Two noble guards stood at
the head Of the catafalque and
10 Swiss guards and 10 Pala-
tine guards Of honor stood
along the walls.
At three small portable affairs
priests said requiem masses
continually in hushed voices.
Segni Pays Respects
President Antonio Segni and
Premier Anintore Fanfani Of
Italy paid their respects at the
catafalque.
Mr.. Segni spent 10 minutes
in prayer at the body Of Pope
John. who on his last trip out
Of the Vatican--May Twisted
Mr.. Segni at the Quirinal Presi-
dental Palace.
Vatican sources said the
Pope was wearing the same
vestments he wore on Holy
Thursday, April IL. when he
went to the cathedral of st.
John Lateran for the episcopal
conservation Of IL Cardinals.
That conservation was in
tended to make all Cardinals
equal in episcopal rank. Until
then some were not bishops or
archbishops.
L'Osservatore Romano said
IL would publish over the next
several days a series of I'M
published writings and
thoughts" Of Pope John.
Cardinals and diplomats
walked in steady stream up
the royal staircase from the
bronze door to the papal apart
ment. The Cardinals were in
mourning purple, the diplomats
in formal dress.
They knelt at the foot Of the
catafalque to kiss the Pope's
slipper. The prelates sprinkled
holy water on the body as they
knelt.
The 1000 citizens of Vatican
City began to pass by the
Pope's body toward noon.
Some aged and stopped, they
wore their best dark suits.
Prof. Antonio Gasbarrini
official papal physician who
had struggled for days to aic
the dying pontiff, sat in one
corner of the room. His fact
showed grief.
Candles flickered at the foul
corners of the catafalque
mounted on multiple-armeC
candelabra. Embedded in thu
floor was a mosaic reproduc
ton of the coat of arms o
Pope Plus XII, the predecesso
of Pope John. Pope Johns owl
seal was in the flooring Of tn
room outside.
MaSella Pays Respects
The flag Of Venice, the Italian
city where Pope John had beef
patriarch before his election
hung from one wall.
The naourners came and wen
without interruption. Amonl
the first was Benedetto Alois
Masella, cardinal chamberlain
who handles routine affairs d
the Vatican as administrator
until the conclave, to be ealleC
later this month, elects th'
next Pope.
The public will be admittes
to st. Peters tomorrow ant
Thursday to pay homage, from
8 am. to pm. Thursday eve
ming the body will be place,
in a crypt in the basilica in {
private burial ceremony.
The Vatican made no an
nouncement of the date for tn
state funeral. It probably wi
be toward the end Of the nine
day period Of official mourn
ing.
AS they mourned, the COLES
Of Cardinals set about the taS
of running the church durir
the interregnum. the time III
til the college elects a ne
pontiff.
All Cardinals Summoned
Today the cardinals bega
daily meetings to deal with I'll
routine affairs Of the churc
and to plan the conclave thu
will meet between June Is an
June 81 to elect Pope John
successor.
The first meeting was al
tended only by Cardinals WI
we're In Rome when the PoT
died. But Eugene Cardinl
Tisserant, French-born dean {
the College of Cardinals. Ia
night sent formal notice Of Il
Pope's death to the other
members Of the sacred COLES
and summoned them 10 Rom
Major decisions left over fro
the reign Of Pope John ava
the new Pope.
He must decid, whether
continue the Ecumenical Coul
Gil which Pope John convent
last fall and which was su
pended automatically at h
death. The Councils aim VI
greater Christian unity. and
is considered almost certa
that the new Pope will summit
the church's 2.400 bishops bal
10 Rome 10 resume lis wor
The new Pope also must d
eide whether 10 move along 4
path OF better relations wi
Communist governments viii
Pope John had opened In hor
OF easing the plight Of CatholI
49, 49,. HssaNANs4