A PAPAL CEREMONY

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 17

A PAPAL CEREMONY

CLOSING THE HOLY DOOR

ROME, December 24.

The Pope to-day: performed the ceremony of closing the holy door of St. Peter’s Cathedral with the gorgeous forms usual to great- functions of this kind. It was a magnificent spectacle. There was a; great gathering of the princes of the church, who participated in the ceremony, which was witnessed enormous crowds.: < • • c

The closing of the holy door took place with the utmost ’ pbmp of the Catholic Church, his Holiness descending to .St. Peter’s Cathedral at eleven a.ui. and the ceremonies lasting until one pun. . The Pope then returned Jto apparently not fatigued. '3l© intohed felie Te Detim- in a resonant Voicp, 1 as«i throughout gave evidence of being in excellent health and spirits. He used the artistic golden trowel Subscribed snr by the Catholics of the world -ih mortaring the three gilded bricks Which' fee placed, as a first layer, on the thresboti of St. Peters door. The spectacle inside the vast-. basilica was superb. The pillars- of the central nave were draped with gold-embroider-ed scarlet cloth, and the porch under which the function took place was transformed into a magnificent decorated hall. On tlie left of the holy door was erected the Pontifical throne, covered with red and gold. On the right hand of the door stood tribunes for Royal personages, princes, Knights of Malta, prelates, representatives of the Roman nobility, and other distinguished persons. Inside the church every inch of space was occupied by the throng which gathered early .in the morning. A strong detachment of troops, stationed in the square In front of the cathedral, controlled the incoming crowds, who literally raced to secure the best positions. The Pope left his apartments at; a quarter to 12 a.m., borne in the sacied chair and preceded by clergy with lighted candles, archbishops,' bishops and car - dinals and escorted by the Pontifical noble guards. Oil his arrival at. the portal of St. Peter’s he alighted and entered the church through the holy door. As he appeared on the threshold the Mivery tones of the trumpet... eeiaced through the edifice. The chapter of; till w Vatican met him, and presented, to him holy water, which he sprinkled upon the congregation. Applause being forbidden, a religious silence was observed, which heightened the grandeur ancV impressiveness of the moment. ' - Borne now on the Sedia Qestatoria to the high altar, he stepped to the ground and knelt before, the most pretcicus relies or the Catholic Church, which Were displayed' oh'the-altar. Theftthe procession i-e-formed, and proceeded to the chapel of tne sacrament, where the Pontiff again knelt, for sortie tin:©, while the choir of the Sistine Chapel chanted psalms. The Pope was then borne to the holy door, where hb alighted from the Sedia Gestatoria, and waited until the entire procession had pasted out through the door, he leaving the church last and walking" to the' throne, where he seated himself. A number of sacred songs were sung by the Papal choir, after which Leo rose and blest all the material employed iii closing the door. Then he descended from “the throne, knelt before the; door, and- laid with the gold trowel a layer of cement, on which he placed three gilt' of fobs bearing commemorative inscriptions; Beside the bricks he placed a casket' containing gold, silver and bronze* medals, and bearing the head of Leo ’and "inscriptions recording the opening ” and closing of the holy door. , L ; . ■ The Pope having ascended thKthxoae,, Cardinal Bishop Serafinp ’ and four, other cardinals performed a'similar ceremony of laying cementand’ three bricks, after which the masons employed by . the Vatican closed ..the dooriyay with a canvas screen, painted.' to represent marble, with a cfqks ip thd centre. The candles borne by the elefgy' Were extinguished, the Te peum. whs . sling, and the Pontiff,' having giyen spleum benediction, whs immediately back to Ids, apartments,. : . V .. It is estimated ~ that' 80,000 people weretspectators of! the .eerehiphy. :: . i