Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1903 — POPE LEO IS STRICtkEN. [ARTICLE]

POPE LEO IS STRICtkEN.

Aged Man Suddenly Taken with Severe Disease of the Longs. All the Cardinals in Rome and the Pontifical Court in Attendance. Venerable Figures in Crimson and Uniformed Guards Surround the Bed. After Reciting the Confession of Faith the Pontiff Hears Words of Absolution Spoken. Vatican in State of Continual Excitement and Unrest as End Nears.

Pope Leo XIIJ. was considered »t death’s door all day Monday. The last sacrament was administered Sunday night, and the aged pontiff, after reciting the confession, heard the words of absolution spoken. ‘‘God’s will be done. Who would have believed it, when only ten days ago I was presiding over a public consistory ?" murmured feebly Pope Leo as he felt himself sinking into a sleep which lasted about three hours until excruciating pain brought the dying pontiff back bo consciousness. Though hovering on the brink of death, the life of the pontiff was prolonged Monday by means of strong stimulants and concentrated nourishment. Late Sunday evening after the excitement of the ceremony of the last sacrament was over the Pope seemed less restless, partly soothed by the religious service and partly by a dose of chloral, which was given to him in considerable quantity. The pontiff'lay on a small bed drawn up to a window overlooking the piazza of St. Peter's. The only picture in the room was an antique Madonna and the sole ornament a great ivory crucifix. The Pope’s serious illness began Saturday afternoon with a severe chill, received while driving in the Vatican gardens. Although the temperature was 96 degrees Fahrenheit, the pontiff complained of a sudden pain in liis right side and sharp shooting spasms. He also suddenly felt violently cold, and the horses were driven homewards at a full gallop in the blazing sun, the sufferer lying back on his cushions, unable to secure any sensation of warmth. Within an hour the cold settled in his head, producing diffuse bronchial catarrh, with a scusation of extreme lassitude. A slight cough also was felt, with slight fever and great thirst. His condition grew worse rapidly and all the efforts of Dr. Lapponi were directed to preventing bronchitis or inflammation of the lungs. By midnight the pulse was weak and injecstions of caffeine were resorted to. This treatment proved efficacious and by morning his condition was slightly Improved. llhe amelioration In the Pope’s condition during Monday morning was so unnatural, considering the gravity of his illness, that it was feared that possibly it was only the last flickering of the vital flame. During this brighter interval the Pope resumed his habits of command aud iusisted on giving orders for the preparation of the brief appointing Mgr. Volponi, actually secretary of letters to princes, as secretary of the consistorial congregation, a post vacant owing to the promotion of Mgr. Nocella to the cardinalate.

J" The only persons allowed in the Pope’s bedroom Monday morning besides the doctors and attendants were Cardinal Rampolla, Monsignore Bisleti, the master of the pontifical chambers, and Brig. Gen. Count Camillo Pecci of the noble guard, a nephew of the Pope. The pontiff conversed for a long time with Count Pecci. even rising and walking about tjie room for a few minutes, leaning on his arm. The poutiff on this occasion remarked: “Now I am ready to depart, having settled all my affairs. I feel I have done all in my power for the good of the church and of humanity.”. Leo XIII. was born as the bells of Paris were chiming with the choir of Notre Dame, in whose precincta his pred : eccfwor, Pius VII., was blessing the uuion of Napoleon and Marie Louise. In the ninetyrthree years that have passed since then the world has changed as it has never changed before within ten times ninety-three years. The day in 1797, when Napoleon ordered that no successor to Pius VI. was to be elected, and decreed that the papacy was to be abolished, is further away from our world of electricity and steam than it was removed from the days when the Borgias ruled Rome. Yet the life of Joachim Pecci has spanned that immense space in the progress of mankind. and for more than one-quarter of that time he has exerted an influence greater, perhaps, than that of any other man upon the civilized world. The diplomacy of Leo XIII. brought about a mitigation of the anti-Roman “May laws” in Germany, he acceptably arbitrated the German-Spanish dispute over the-Caroline Islands; he offered to arbitrate the Cuban troubles with Spain; he notified the Roman Catholic bishops of Ireland that boycotting and what was known as the "plan of campaign” were immoral, and bis encyclical of 1891 on the relations between capital and labor won deserved respect. ; But It is none of these things that will preserve the fame of Leo XIII. Bather It la hia personal character.

POPE TAKES LAST SACRAMENT. Solemn Ceremony of Extreme Unction ' Also Administered. ~ a f t . * a The solemn but gorgeous ccitemony of administering the last sacrament book place at the bedside of Pope Led Sunday. The central figure was the dying pontiff. His pale and emaciated face, almbst as white as the pillows on which it rested, showed little sign of life, except the keen, glittering eyes, always his most striking feature. Mgr. Pifferi, the Pope’s sacristan, administered the sacrament. Around the bed were grouped the noble guards in their glittering- uniforms, the knights of the cloak and sword in their picturesque mediaeval costume of black with white ruffs, and twenty-five cardinals, all members of the sacred college who ore present in Home. Nearest to the bed stood the Imposing, tsll figure of the cardinal grand penitentiary, Serafinio Vannutelli, with the Franciscan friar who was to hear the last confession of the departing pontiff. Then the priest apostolic approached, bearing ths viaticum, to give the last communion, and another priest administered the extreme unction, assisted by the grand penitentiary. Pope Leo feebly recited the confession of faith, as formulated by the council of Trent, and finally the words of absolution and the formula of indulgence in articulo mortis were solemnly pronounced by the grand penitentiary. The heads of the great religious orders who were present granted the Pope the special indulgences which they have the privilege of conferring. Then came the touching prayers for a passing soul and part of the gospel, the Lord's passion. As the last words died away all fell on their knees. The pontiff, raising hist almost transparent fingers with a feeble effort, pronounced in scarcely audible words bis benediction on the sacred college and on all present and then sank

back on the pillows. There was scarcely n tearless eye in the whole assemblage, and the sobs of the Pope's relatives were heard plainly. Stricken Last December. The Tope’s health has been the subject of a great many rumors and of endless alarms in the last few months. On several occasions it has been reported that the Pope was dead, which caused the pontiff much distress, and he asked, "Why does every one want me to die?” On Thursday last the rumors of the pope's illness were renewed, but the pontiff went for his usual drive in the Vatican gardens. After his return from the drive, he himself, contrary to custom, ordered the fact to be published in the official column of the Osserviitore Romano, adding: "Tell the editor to spread the news through the Italian and foreign press, so that the whole world will thank God that we are well today.” The last illness of the Pope began as far back as last December, when at a reception accorded the cardinals for the purpose of receiving their new year's greetings the venerable.head of the great Roman Catholic Church suddenly was stricken ill. For a time he lost the power of speech, and it was found necessary to disperse the audience. From that time the world has anxiously heard the repeated rumors that the eftd of the remarkable life of Pope Leo was approaching, yet hardly had the cables told the distressing news when the Pope, with a rare show of vitality, would begin to recover. Lapponi, the Pope's physician, abandoned ail other plans—namely, the writing of his famous standard books on psychology—and has devoted himself exclusively to the high office of caring for the Pope’s health. In March last there was a remarkable scene when the Pope, at an audience given to the cardinals,, spoke calmly and smilingly of the fact that his demise could not be far off. To a man the cardinals called to him: "No, no; you must not say ao. God will grant you to us for many years to come. You cannot be*spared.” Until the middle of June the reports that came out of the Vatican were of a highly encouraging nature, but June 14 the Pope wae forced to submit to an operation for the removal of a tumor which had grown under his arm.

Disquieting reports came from the Vatican during the last week in June, which told of fainting spells that had visited the Pope with frequency, and Dr. Lapponi made a public statement to the effect that if the Pope would only consent to cease his activity and rest as long as his advanced years made imperative there would be a long time before him, but this Leo. as before, refused to. He

declared he would go on with his work, no matter what the cost should be. First Significant Warning. The first significant warning that the Pope was reaching the limit of his wonderful powers of endurance came from a correspondent of the Paris Temps on ; June 5. On June 12 private intelligence of the Pope’s coudition, received in Rome and Vienna, caused a renewal of the alarmist reports. These reports were undoubtedly based upon confidential reports sent out from within the Vatican, but when the flood of telegrams came in the usual public denials were forthcoming. On June II Dr. Lapponi, ip an interview, stated that he was still treating th« Pope for his indisposition, which would i not be worth mentioning were it not for tile pontiff’s advanced age. On June 18 Dr. Lapponi. in another public interview, contradicted the alarmist reports concerning the Pope’s health. Dr. Lapponi asserted then that the Pope was wonderfully well for a man of 94. and that his presence at the consistory to be held oil June 21 would be an answer to the pessimists. The Pope himself added to the general alarm over his condition by being unable to give a number of audiences on June 18 that he had promised. On June 22 the Pope held a consistory, at which he anointed seven new cardinals. The eeremouy was made as brief as possible, owing to the enfeebled condition of Pope Leo. His holiness stood the fatigue better than had been expected. He was borne into the consistory hall half hidden in the vestments of his sacred office. He received the homage of the cardinals and of the curia and read a brief allocution in I.atih in a weak voice. He stopped frequently and looked tired at its end. • , Last Public Appearance. On June 25 Pope Leo held what was declared at that time might he hit last public consistory. It was for this elaborate ceremony that the pontiff had been husbanding his strength. He was borne into the Sala Regia in the aedia gestatoria, through the living ranks of the great assemblage. The Pope smiled while he blessed the crowds as he passed. In fact, at times be tried to rise ao as to better impart hi* benediction, and it was only then that his extreme weakness was apparent.