POPE’S GOLDEN ROSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1929, Page 5

POPE’S GOLDEN ROSE

EXPECTE DGIFT TO QUEEN. ROME, June 22. In well-informed circles of the Vatican City it is stated that Pius XI will perform the ceremony of blessing the Golden Rose for presentation to a I Catholic Queen early in September. This ceremony, one of the most ancient and picturesque in the Catholic ritual, is supposed to have been instituted by St. Gregory the Great, but it is on record that as early as the time of Pope Leo IX, the monastery of the Holy Cross, in the diocese of Tulle, in return for certain privileges, was bound to the tribute of two ounces of fine gold for the making of the Golden Rose, to be blessed by the Roman Pontiffs. At first it was usually presented to the Prefect of Rome, in token of the esteem in which the Popes held the Eternal City; in successive centuries it became an important link in the relations between the Holy See and foreign rulers. Among the recipients of this honour one of the greatest in the Pope’s gift, have been Louis VII., Charles VI. and Charles VII. of France, the Emperor Sigismund and Louis I. of Hungary, King Henry, VI. of Englyand, Charles

■ 111. of Savoy, Catherine de Medici, Anno of Austria, the Empress MarieThercse, and Marie Gabrielle of Savoy, wife of Philip V. of Snain. Occasionally it was also bestowed on famous sanctuaies or on cities noted for their devotion to the Holy See, such as Venice, Bologna, Siena, and Benevento. Leo XIII., who fully appreciated the diplomatic value of the Golden Rose, gave it renewed importance, even creating the post of “Bearer of the Golden Rose,” which was filled for many years by Count Edoardo Soderini. For some unknown reason, his two immediate successors, Pius X and Benedict XV., allowed the ancient custom to lapse, but it was revived by the present pontiff, who sent the Golden Rose to the Queen of Spain. Speculation is now rife as to who will be the next recipient of this coveted distinction. In well-informed circles it is believed that after King Victor Emmanuel’s visit to the Pope, the Holy Father will bestow the Golden Rose on Queen Helena, thus sealing the reconciliation of the Papacy to the House of Savoy, well known for its deeply Catholic traditions. There can be no doubt that the whole Italian nation would greatly appreciate the compliment paid to their beloved Queen, fully understanding its high political significance.