Coronation of the Holy Father.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 15

Coronation of the Holy Father.

PAPAL coronations differ from those of temporal sovereigns, and a» a quarter of a century has passed since Leo XIII. was crowned, and Catholics all the world over are now celebrating the silver jubilee of that coronation, a brief description of the ceremony may be of timely interest (cays a writer in an exchange). There eeema to be a very general impression that Popes crown themselves, since by reason of their exalted rank no one is qualified to place the tiara on their head. This is not the case. For the Pope is crowned by a member of the Sacred College, who is not a Cardinal Bishop, nor even a Cardinal Priest, but merely a Cardinal Deacon. To Cardinal Macchi, now the senior of the Cardinal Deacons, will fall the lot of crowning the next occupant of the Chair of St. Peter. It remains to be seen whether the next coronation will take place in St. Peter's or in the Sistiue Chapel in the Vatican. Much will depend upon the views and politics of the new Pope. If it is Cardinal Vanutelli, or one of the members of the Sacred College who are disposed to be friendly with the Italian Government, it is probable that the coronation will take place in St. Peter's, whereas, if the next Pope belongs to the Intransigeant party, it will take place, like that of Leo XIII., in the Sistine Chapel. The ceremony will take place in the morning, and will commence with a procession headed by the Swiss Guards, and ended by the new Pope, wearing a gold mitre, carried aloft on the Sedia Gewtatoria, with a silvtr damask canopy borno above his head, flanked by the Flabelli, the great fans of ostrich and peacock feathers", and purrounded by the Noble Guards with drawn swords. As the Pope enters either the Sistine Chapel or St. Peter's — that is to Bay , the place where the coronation takes place — he is stopped three times by one of the clerks of the Chapel, who, kneeling, sets fire to Borne flax on the points of a three-pronged stick, exclaiming in a loud and mournful voice : ' Pater Sancte, eic transit gloria mundi ' (Holy Father, thus passes away the glory of the world). Having descended from the Sedia Gestatoria, the Pope proceeds to the altar, and after a brief prayer commences the Introit of the Macs, which on this occasion is celebrated by him. At the end of the confession he takes his places on the throne on the left side of the altar, while the first Cardinal Bishop recites the three customary prayerß over him. Then the Pope returns to the altar, kneels on the step, and while the first Cardinal Deacon removes his gold mitre, the second Cardinal Deacon invests him with the Pontifical Pallium or band of white wool worn on the shoulders, with a short band extending downwards on the back and breast. This Pallium is adorned with three black silk embroidered crosses, and constitutes the most sacred and important eymbol of his office. As soon as the Pope is invested therewith he resumes his mitre, reascends his throne, and then receives the homage of the principal dignitaries present. The Cardinals come first and. kiss in turn his foot and his hand, and are then embraced by him. Archbishops and Bishops kiss Mb foot and right knee, but receive no embrace, while minor dignitaries of the Church and laymen kiBS his foot, or rather the cross on his slipper alone. The Mass is then proceeded with, and after the collects the senior Cardinal Deacon, standing at the lowest step of the altar, cries three times, 'Long life to our lord, Leo XIV. (or whatever other title the new Pope may assume) the Bishop and universal Pontiff given to us by God,' and thereupon turning toward the Pope hands him the papal crozier, which is distinguished from those of all cardinals, archbishops, bishops, aud abbots in that it is

surmounted by a cross instead of a shepherd's crook. This form °' crozier is exclusively used by the Pontiff, and it is said that one of the reasons why the croziers of the other dignitaries of the Church have the upper end bent, and are surmounted by the crook, is aa a Bymbol of the fact that their owners are compelled to bow to the will of the Supreme Pontiff. Not until the conclusion of the MaBS does the actual coronation take place. The Pope proceeds from the altar to his Beat on the throne, and thereupon, while the senior Cardinal Deacon pronounces a prayer over him, the second Cardinal Deacon removes from the Pontiff's head the golden mitre which he has until that time worn. The first Cardinal Deacon then places the tiara upon the Pope's head, with the words — ' Take this tiara, adorned with three crowns, and know that thou art the father of all princes and sovereigns, the ruler of the globe, and on earth the vice-regent of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, to Whom all honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.' The Pope then rises, and, wearing the tiara, delivers that benediction which completes the ceremony of coronation, and whioh, until the reign of Leo XIII., was invariably given from the external balcony of St. Peter's to the faithful assembled in the vast square below. The tiara, like the cross surmounted crozier above described, ia an attribute which belongs to the Pope exclusively. It iB, like many other symbols of religion and of royalty, of Oriental origin ; for Herodotus describes the crown of the rulers of Persia as a ' tiara.' Nicholas 1,, who was the first pope to be crowned, and who occupied the Chair of St. Peter from 850 to 869, was crowned with an ordinary episcopal mitre surrounded by a single crown. In 1290 Pope Boniface VII. added a second crown to the mitre to indicate hia sovereignty over things temporal as well as spiritual. This gave much offence to the German Emperor and to the rulers of France and England, and it was partly in consequence of this that Pope Clement V. added the third crown to indicate the spiritual supremacy of the Papacy over the then three known quarters of the globe ; that is to say, Europe, Aaia, and Africa. There are several tiaras in the Papal treasury, the one given by Napoleon I. in 180."> to Pope Pins VII., covered with jewels and surmounted by the large-t emerald in existence, is so heavy that it cannot be worn, and the two usually used by Leo XIII. have been the tiara made by Gregory XVI. adorned with Home 200 precious atones, and the one presented by Queen Isabella of Spain to Piua IX., weighing three pounds, and adorned with no less than 19,000 preoioua stonts, of which 18,000 are diamonds. The Papal tiara, instead of being divided in the centre, as is the episcopal mitre, ia perfectly closed. The reign of a Pope, I may add in conclusion, dates from hia coronation inptead of from hia election, although he is fully qualified to enjoy all the prerogatives of Pontiff even prior to hia coronation.