The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-15 00:00:00

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Homage to the Divinity of Our Lord.

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(PROCESSION AT ROME, AS DESCRIBED BY THE CORRES-
PONDENT OF THE "HERALD" IN THE ETERNAL CITY.)
The painting of the Saviour, which is the princi-
of art, and though rude
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enough in its execution is a very impressive picture,
the traces of the Passion of Our Lord being ren-
dered with almost painful truth and vigour. It was
covered by Pope Innocent 111. with exquisite gold
and jewelled wrought platings, to preserve it from
the injury
of time, and it has been kept in the inner
chapel of the Scala Santa, on the altar called
" Sancta sanctorum" from time immemorial, and
carried from time to time in solemn state to one of
the great Basilicas, when any crisis menaced
Christendom. In the war of the Ghibellines, when
the Turks attacked Dalmatia, and before Lepanto,
and in the last century, before the outbreak of the
French Revolution. So much for historical remi-
niscences. In the present crisis the Pope was
requested to order it in 1860, and again in 1862, and
refused to accede to it, not wishing to create an
alarm. The reason his Holiness is said now to have
acceded to it is not on account of new political com-
plications, but on account of the great increase of
open atheism, and the spread of works denying the
truth of Scripture and Our Lord's divinity; and more
especially Renan's " Vie de Jesus," which is being
now translated into Italian all over the kingdom
of Italy, and is recommended by the Independante
as the " most evangelical work since the Gospels,"
and another book of Proudhon's " La Justice de la
Revolution," dedicated openly "2r Satan," par
Joseph Proudhon, which is doing infinite mischief
in all the towns of Upper Italy, where nothing is
read but the reproductions of the most infidel and
blasphemous French works. This procession, which
is especially a devo;ion to the divinity of Christ, was
at length ordered by the Pope as an act of public
reparation for the scandals of infidelity and avowal
of Christian faith. Prayers were also ordered for
the peace of Italy and Poland, but neither of them
in any sense save the religious one. Therevolu-
tionists here and in the kingdom of Italy, however,
chose to give a political significance to the order,
and sent a counter circular round on Sunday morn-
ing to prevent people attending, and containing
threatening notices—a measure which only served
to show the little hold they have on the Roman
population by increasing the attendance. At four
o'clock the piazza and church of the Lateran were
crowded with persons of all ranks and classes.
Every window,, wall, and gallery within sight
of the line of procession was occupied, and when
it issued from the Basilica, headed by the clergy
of the seven great churches, of the Maria Mag-
giore, Maria in Cosenedaro, Maria in Traste-
vere, St. Lorenzo in Damaso, St. Lorenzo Fuori
le Muore, St. John Lateran, and St. Peter's, and
followed by committees, guilds, religious orders,
bodies of clergy, and thousands of people of every
grade joining in the chaunt of the litanies, it would
be difficult to imagine a more picturesque scene.
There was a spirit of enthusiasm among those fol-
lowing the procession that was very striking from its
depth and reality. A number of Poles were very
conspicuous by the rather gesticulatory fashion of
their devotions. They had attempted to make a
demonstration of it by going barefoot and keeping
in a separate body, but this was very wisely pre-
vented by the authorities, who refused to allow
anything liable to be diverted from a simple act of
prayer for peace and a speedy settlement of vexed
questions either in Poland or Italy. The Pope did
not assist himself, but wes represented by the Car-
dinal Vicar. The picture was carried from the
Lateran to the Esquilene down the Via Bumerna-
tana, and was placed in St. Maria Maggiore, where
it remained some days, and has been already visited
by thousands of persons. The P, pe went in full
state to the church of St. Maria del Popolo this morn-
ing, and was looking well. The cardinals and house-
hold attended him, and there was great cheering in
the crowd on the Piazza and all down the Ripetta
through which he passed.

MEMORIALS NOW IN PROGRESS.