OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF POPE'S DEATH. . f Pope Pius X, whose death was reported early this morning and later denied, but whose illness has caused deep apprehension, is known as "the peasant pope," and is a most beloved pontiff. Ilia family name, is, Sarto and he was born in Venice in 1835. In 1867 ' he was appointed a priest at Salzano, later he was made a bishop and then a cardinal, and finally in 1903 he was elected successor to Pope Leo, the great scholar of the church. As Cardinal Sarto, the present pope gained great popularity in Venice and since his elevation to the throne of St. Peter ho has retained his l6ld on the hearts of the faithful who hbld allegiance I to, Catholicism. It has often been predicted that the -pope would die in his ninth year in the Vatican. The pope often has spoken of the curious way in which tho figure 9 has been a factor in his career. For nine years he was a schoolboy at Riesc, for nine years a student at Padua, for nine years a curate at Tombolo. for nine years a priest at Salzano and for nine years a cardinal patriarch at Venice. When he donned the papal tiara he spoke of this, saying, "I will be pope, if God wills, for nine years." The figure 9 also appears in his numerical order from the first pope, St Peter, of Christ's disciples Tie is No. 259. J. Pierpont Morgan had an interview with Pope Pius in 1905, and in discussing the subject later the financier said: "I was struck by the intensely developed mentality of Pope Pius. lie has a strongly intellectual face, with piercing eyes, but his smile is full of good will. "I admired principally, however, his great simplicity of manner man-ner and his air of absolute sincerity. II5s democratic tendencies ap-I ap-I , 4 1 IH pealed to jne. The popp declined to permit me to kneel, but took jH my hand in the American manner and gripped it cordiallj- km "The impression I received from my long conversation with jfl him and the walk through the Vatican was one of deep regard for his well developed artistic sense. He had an intense and deep ap- fl prcciation of the beauties and glories of the art treasures of the fl Vatican, and his observations and comments were not those of a Jl mere amateur, but of a trained connoisseur of art. ! "Wo talked of religion in our country, and I was pleased to fl find that the pope was fully cognizant of the conditions in the United States. He twice remarked that Americana are verv cood Christians." " The Catholic world will be intensely eager to gain more re- assuring word of the condition of the pope. H |