DEATH OF THE POPE.

VICTIM OF INFLUENZA.

We deeply regret to announce the death of his Holiness Pope Benedict XV., who passed away at the Vatican at six o’clock yesterday morning in his 68th year and the eighth of his Pontificate.

The Supreme Pontiff has succumbed to the prevailing epidemic of influenza after a very brief illness.

It was only on Wednesday that the announcement was made that the Pope was indisposed with bronchial catarrh and influenza symptoms, but it was added that the illness was “not serious.” On Thursday Cardinal Gasparri, the Papal Secretary of State, said his Holiness had had a good night, and was certainly no worse than on the day before. The physicians expressed themselves as satisfied with the Holy Father’s condition, and the bulletin issued at six p.m. said there was no material change to report. Later in the evening, however, the Tribuna announced that the Pope’s temperature was higher, and that there were symptoms of pneumonia.

On Friday, the news from Rome became more ominous, and as the day went on it became evident that the Pontiff ’s end was near. The Last Sacraments of the Church were administered in the morning, and the Pope took farewell of Cardinal Gasparri and other prelates and officials of the Vatican.

On Saturday afternoon a false, but quite circumstantial, report reached Paris stating that the Pope was already dead. This was promptly denied, but the successive telegrams which were received in London showed that the condition of the Pontiff was such that a fatal termination of his illness could only be a question of hours. At 5.30 p.m. on Saturday the following medical bulletin was issued:

His Holiness’s condition has become more grave. His breathing is laboured and the action of the heart is becoming weaker.

Wiring at midnight on Saturday, Reuter said:

The Pope had a lucid period to-night, when he sat up in bed and partook of food… The condition of his heart, however, is so bad that Dr. Cherubini doubts whether he will survive the early hours.

As early as seven o’clock on Saturday morning telegrams had been sent to the Papal Nuncios announcing that the Pope was dying, but the end did not actually come until nearly twenty-four hours later.