Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-03
End Comes
AT 2:40-P.M.
As Heart Fails
Stomach Tumor,
Hemorrhuging
Bring Deuth
BULLETIN

VATICAN CITY (AP)-
The Vatican press office an
nOunced today Pope John
XIII Is dead.
The POpe's stout heart
gave up after q long and dra-
matte duel with death In
which his resistance con-
founded all medical expecta-
tions.
The S1-year-OId POntiff,
called Pope of unity and
peace" had described him
self as serenely ready, "going
sweetly toward the end"
The final illness was caused
by q stomach tumOr, which
brought persistent hem0r-
rhaging and was complicated
near the end BY peritOnitis,
an inflammation Of the lin
ing Of the abdominal cavity.
The Supreme POntiff Of
the Roman Catholic Church
succumbed at 7:49 pm.
(2:49 Pm, E. ID. IT,, the
announcement said.
VATICAN CITY, June 3
(AP).-Pope John XIII sank
into deepening stupor today
and his sturdy heart seemed
to be weakening.
The pontiff's blood pressure
dropped drastically, and sources
at the Vatican said this could
indicate weakening Of the
heart, whose resistance to death
has COMPOUNDED all medical ex-
pectations.
At Sis pm. d:15 pm. EDIT
Vatican radio said there had
been mo outstanding event" in
the last two hours concerning
Pope Johns condition.
At 4:45 pm. (11:45 am,
EDIT q Vatican press official
said:
1.-THE deterioration Of the
Pope's condition is constant.
He is being assisted at the pres
ent time by his doctors. Prof.
Antonio Gasbarrini and Piero
Mazzoni."
Oxygen Relieves Breathing
"This is the hour for faith"
Vatican Radio said. describing
the 'perceptibly worsened"
general condition Of the pom
tiff. It said at 4:45 that the
Pontiff's remarkable constitu-
ton was keeping him alive.
The oxygen which had been
administered to the Pope some
what relieved his heavy breath
ing.
But the broadcast said doc
tors had just about given up
hope of being able to do any
thing for the Pontiff.
A medical bulletin at noon
q am, EDIT said the Pope
no longer felt the agonizing
pain that had scourged his
body earlier. Sedatives and
pain killers no longer were
necessary. His temperature rose.
At 1885 pm. a communique
reported that the Pope's blood
pressure had dropped to IS.
Five-and-a-half hours earlier
1t had been lis.
For the thousands in st.
Peters Square there was moth
ing to do but wait, as they had
waited through long night and
daytime vigils ever since the
Pope's first grave crisis.
10000 Wait in Square
About 10000 were in the
square at noon. waiting for
news Of the beloved Pope whose
life was Pickering away like
the flames Of q spent candle.
Luigi Cardinal Traglia, the
Pope's pro-vicar for Rome,
said he would celebrate an out
door mass in the square in
front of the great st. Peters
Basilica, Just after sunset.
The Pope received extreme
JUNCTION, the last rites OF the
church, "a hours ago. For four
days he has fingered between
life and death. Only the perl
DDS of coma lightened his pain.
His temperature rose 10 more
than i04 degrees today and his
pulse, which had been 1876 yes
terday rose TO i40 and then
dropped again TO 1870. He had
a period OF consciousness but
sank back into coma early in
the afternoon.
Example Of Faith
THE strong physical constl-