The Portland daily press., 1869-12-23
THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL.

pe inadequate, Iney nave nltnerto preserved a
most unsuitable silence. l enclose my card
EDIPUS.
THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL.
Celebration of the High Mass ON Ad-
vent Sundny-An Extraordinary scene.
ROME, Advent Sunday, Nov. %, 1862
have just been four hours in ST. Peters,
assisting at q great solemnity, one of 10000
spectators, L should think. The High Mass
on Advent Sunday has always been celebrat-
ed in the Sistine Chapel, but that room could
not hold even fraction of the Bishops now
in Rome, unless everybody else was to be ex-
cluded. Perhaps rehearsal, too, was con-
venient. l started to be in good time. The
miles length of narrow streets between the
English quarter and the Bridge of st. Angelo
was already thronged with pedestrians and
carriages, all going one way. From good
way on this side of the bridge TO st. Peters,
the road was kept by horse and foot; and
there were clusters of men in uniform who
scrutinized every face. l passed for priest,
CT an innocent, L know not which, nor yet
why. The Plaza, the Vatican and the facade
ofSt. Peters looked bright in the morning
sun, but the interior was almost as dark as
those sOmbre churches at Florence. A forest
of candles of Wellingtonian dimensions, over
the tomb of st. Peter, promised an iumina-
ton. The front portion of the south transept
was arranged for ladies', all in full-dress black
that looked as if il had served their mother
and grandmothers on hundred similar occa-
sions. An official directed me, and small
squad OF priests, to the north side, under a
singing gallery, and next to large tribune
prepared for ladies of distinction. About o
the Swiss Guard came in, and while some
fanked the altar under the dome, the rest
made Gordon between the dome and the
nave which none were allowed to pass, except
priests, ladies and gentlemen, or something
like it. There were then priests and more
monks, soldiers and more soldiers, candles
lighted and more candles. L was soon wedg-
ed close in mass of all sorts, chiefly monks.
The Bishops began to arrive, first in ones and
twos, and had to force their way into the
choir like common men. Some walked up
stately enough, but seemed rather abashed at
the immense area of green carpeting, and the
long lengths of benches ON either side, and the
awful throne at the further end. An official
came forward, not till he had surveyed them
leisurely, and directed them to their places
By and by the Swiss Guard were directed to
keep way for the privileged persons. The
Bishops then flowed in rapidly. Sometimes
half dozen had a procession, with leaders,
and a good many had evidently studied effect,
and made programme. But about three
score of these men were beings had never
seen except in pictures-most with boards,
some with very dark compilations indeed, the
majority with fine faces, noble bearing, and
even patriarchal look. Some were younger
than one would expect. There were bad
figures. and bad faces, too, among them. Their
dresses were generally black-that is, violet,
slaty, and even ashy. Some of them COM
manded the whole scene more readily and
calmly than one or two of our countrymen
seemed to do. They had picturesque head
they had disappeared from my sight. There
might be more than 800 Bishops besides Car
dinals. As for Patriarchs and Primates, l
don't know them when l see them. Perhaps
1 don't always know Bishop.
Now, word to Cardinals and high eclesi-
astics, especially of the Italian race Fasting
and praying may make a saint, but 1 doubt
whether it makes a Churchman. A pillar OF
the Church should be strengthened by human
means. The bulk of these men show stout
frames, compact muscle, and strong FIBRE
They have decisive bearings and resolute as
poets. BY the time the benches-the back
green, the front crimson-were filling,in came
the Guarda Mobile, with their swords drawn,
and made semi-circe round the altar. Mys-
terious sounds came in from without; some
times chanting, sometimes military music.
At last, near 1870, the great doors OF the new
Council Hall were thrown open and in came
Plus TX, with the usual procession of laqueys
domestics, household, Court, &c. The old man
has aged sadly in twelve years. His face was
large, and it is larger, pale, and it is paler.
tRsqt hs aMaaks stfa@dly and bis eyes look de-
that by continual blessing he had become be-
nignant forever; but that mask is gone, and
PIUs TX. looks whatever he feels. No doubt,
he has many sore trial. l ought to say that
he passed within two yards of me. All knelt
who could. l could not, for about me we were
as full as box of matches. AS soon as the
Pope had seated himself on the lofty throne
opposite the altar, the service began. The
spectacle seemed to belong to another world
certainly not to my own sober century. Here
was l in forest of halberts, drawn sabre
lighted candles, helmets with plumes and hel-
NETS without, under cloud of incense that
half filled the church, and with every figure
before me direct from the Middle Ages, and
listening to professional singers, in the pres
ence of throne built on all the thrones ol
the Old World, and with all their pomp and
pageantry. 1t was impossible not to compare
the spectacle with the simple worship of oul
own country, and still more with the event
commemorated in this fashion.
A monk preached in his black gown ant
white sleeves. His shril tones were met witt
stony echoes from the vast building, and hi
subject was the perseverance of saints.
think the good tladies in the tribune near me
took the opportunity to do some devotion OIL
their jewelled rosaries. They were not lis
tening. The sermon, of course, was address
ed to the Pope, who is the most preached tC
as well as the most preached at man in the
world. The service over, lighted candles, foul
feet long, were placed before all the Bishops
or as many as could see, and with the Pope
and Cardinals, they all made procession
down the nave of the Church, after which the
Pope and his attendants left by the Council
Hall. The candles appeared to become the
perquisites OF the Bishops, and no doubt will
be carried to their own cathedrals far away
l made my way to the end of the nave, and
thought the multitude would never cease
flowing down toward me. 1t would be i'm
possible to describe the varieties of character
and costume, from ecclesiastics of all nations
monks of all orders, soldiers, tourists, and la
dies in full dress, down to the veritable de
scendants of the old satyrs in sheepskin jack
cts and goatskin breeches. Emerging into
light saw the vast Piazza all swarm of life
Then came carriage after carriage, scarlet
without, scarlet within, and streets full o
monks and priests-no doubt, many our Owl
countrymen. The ceremony will, OF course
be surpassed before the Council has met long
but it cannot yet have had an equal in tn
number and character of the assistants. As
sistantS only they were, for l cannot help no
ticing, for the benefit of Protestant readers
that so far as /, an INITIATED person, couit
make out, it was not with but for the Catholic
Church that the Pope communicated. The
three hundred Bishops had no more actua