THE POPE DEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 January 1922, Page 5

THE POPE DEAD.

ROMAN CHURCH’S LOSS,. SEVEN YEARS’ REIGN. HIS PART IN THE WAR. EFFORTS FOR PEACE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Jan. 22, 11.40 p.m. London, Jan. 22 (8.45 a.m.). A Paris telegram says the newspapers announce that the Pope died at 6 o’clock.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. Received Jan. 22, 5.5 p.m. Rome, Jan. 20. The Pope’s condition was normal until eleven o’clock last night, when the inflammation spread over the whole bronchial system and his heart weakened. The Vatican notified the Government that the Pope’s condition was hopeless.

It was announced at two o’clock that the death agony had commenced, but the decline was arrested, sleep following spasms of coughing, which occasioned agony. A bulletin issued after a doctors’ consultation at six o’clock stated there was little hope of the Pope kving through the night and that he may be suffocated by catarrh at any moment. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. Received Jan. 22. 11.5 p.m. London, Jan. 21 (10.20 p.m.).

A telegram from Rome states extreme unction was administered at 2 in the morning. Early in the forenoon, after an hour’s sleep, the Pope took liquid refreshment and revived the faintest hope of recovery. His lucidity during the early part of the day was a remarkable feature of his illness. He became delirious at noon, insisting on rising to resume work. Later a state of coma commenced, from which he never gained consciousness and death occurred 4.45 Rome time. London, Jan. 21 (11.55 p.m.). The late editions of the London evening papers announce the Pope’s death about 4.45, which the Italian correspondents of the four news agencies confirmed, but Rome messages despatched a$ 8 o’clock show the report was premature, the Pope being then alive. The state of Coma waj not expected to laat another hour. Cardinal Gasparri informed members of the Sacred College assembled in the Pope’s anteroom after the medical consultation at 6 o’clock that the Pope’s condition during the day had grown worse, respiration was more difficult and the heart was growing weaker. London. Jan. 22H2J5 a.m.). A Rome message states the Pope rallied at 8 o’clock and may last out the flight. Received Jan. 22, 11.40 p.m. London. Jan. 22 (4.10 a.m.). x'he authorities at Westminster Cathedral received three Vatican telegrams on Saturday and the third, arriving about 6 p.m., announced the Pope’s death, whereupon the bells tolled at the Westminster and Southwark Cathedrals. Berlin was also misled, the Pope s ieath being announced in the Reichstag. The Papal Nuncio at Paris issued a denial on Saturday night, stating there nad been no information from the Vatican up till 10 o’clock. THE NEXT POPE. CARDINAL GASPARRI MENTIONED. Received Jan. 22, 5.5 p.m. Rome, Jan. 21. The newspapers are of opinion that Cardinal Gasparri will be the next Pope. _ His Holiness Benedict XV. was born on November 21, 1854, and was thus in his sixty-eighth year. He was ordained in 1878, was appointed Archbishop of Bologne in 1907, and a cardinal in May, 1914. He was elected Pope on September 3, 1914, being crowned three days later. . Benedict XV. is described as being of p retiring, pious and studious nature. He entered no further into public matters than the duties of his sacred office required. During the war he was active in his advocacy of peace and did everything in his power to bring the belligerents to mutual understanding and goodwilL He interested himself successfully in obtaining an exchange of prisoners during the war. His Holiness also communicated with the leaders of the Allies and of the Central Powers on several occasions to induce them to make the war less brutal and more humane. Addressing a gathering of cardinals and others assembled recently, he referred to the state of society at present, pointing out evidences of the demal of authority, the animosity of brother against brother, the frantic pursuit of pleasure, the disgust for work and the forgetfulness of the supernatural end of man. He argued that by trying to remove these features the stability of society would be thoroughly re-establish-ed on a Christian foundation. Cardinal Gasparri, who is mentioned as the probable successor, is at present Secretary of State, and thus he was the right-hand man of the Pope. He is 70.