Editing Pope Pius IX (section)

==Later years and death==
Since 1868, the pope had been plagued first by facial [[erysipelas]] and then by open sores on his legs.<ref>see Martina III, and {{Cite web |url= http://www.damian-hungs.de/Papst%20Pius%20IX..html |title=Papst Pius IX |work=damian-hungs.de |access-date=11 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311131708/http://www.damian-hungs.de/Papst%20Pius%20IX..html |archive-date=11 March 2007 |language=de}}</ref> Nevertheless, he insisted on celebrating daily Mass. The extraordinary heat of the summer of 1877 worsened the sores to the effect that he had to be carried. He underwent several painful medical procedures with remarkable patience.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perrotti |first=Pope, Ferretti, Giovanni Maria Mastai, Simone |title=Pope Pius IX By Simone Perrotti. - ppt download |url=https://slideplayer.com/slide/13456699/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=slideplayer.com}}</ref> He spent most of his last few weeks in his library, where he received cardinals and held [[papal audience]]s.{{sfn|Schmidlin|1922–1939|p=101}} On 8 December, the Feast of the [[Immaculate Conception]], his situation improved markedly to the point that he could walk again.

[[File:Pius IX - funeral.jpg|thumb|Illustration of the funeral of Pius IX at Saint Peter's Basilica, published by [[Currier and Ives]] in 1878]]
By February, he could say Mass again on his own in a standing position, enjoying the popular celebration of the 75th anniversary of his [[First Communion]]. [[Bronchitis]], a fall to the floor, and rising temperature worsened his situation after 4 February 1878. He continued joking about himself: when the [[Cardinal Vicar]] of Rome ordered bell-ringing and non-stop prayers for his recuperation, the pope asked, "Why do you want to stop me from going to heaven?" He told his doctor that his time had come.{{sfn|Schmidlin|1922–1939|p=102}}

Pius IX lived just long enough to witness the death of his old adversary, [[Victor Emmanuel II of Italy]], in January 1878. As soon as he learned about the seriousness of the situation of the king, he absolved him of all [[excommunication]]s and other ecclesiastical punishments. Pius IX died one month later on 7 February 1878 at 5:40&nbsp;pm, aged 85, while saying the [[rosary]] with his staff. The cause of death was [[epilepsy]], which led to a seizure and a sudden [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].{{sfn|Schmidlin|1922–1939|pp=100–102}} His last words were, "Guard the Church I loved so well and sacredly", as recorded by the cardinals kneeling beside his bedside.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} His death concluded the second-longest pontificate in papal history, after that of [[Saint Peter]], who tradition holds had reigned for 37 years.

His body was originally buried in the [[Vatican Grottoes]], but was moved in a night procession on 13 July 1881 to the [[San Lorenzo fuori le mura|Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls]]. When the cortege approached the Tiber River, a group of anticlerical Romans screaming "Long live Italy! Death to the Pope! Death to the Priests!" threatened to throw the coffin into the river but a contingent of [[Carabinieri]] arrived to prevent this.{{sfnm |1a1=Kelly |1y=1987 |1p=310 |2a1=Schmidlin |2y=1922–1939 |2pp=103–104}} The simple grave of Pius IX was changed by his successor [[John Paul II]] after his [[beatification]].