The Portland daily press., 1869-04-24
Notes by she Way.
ROME, March 81, 1859.
HOLY WEEK AT ROME.

1 -
OF people. Priests, monks, mobiles and pill
grims from all over Europe, English and
American travellers, collect here to take part
in, or to become interested spectators Of the
great display that is then made of the pomp
and pageantry of the Romish church. This
season of solemnity, so regarded by the Chris
tan world, is nowhere observed with such rev.
erence or earnest devotion as at this, the CEN
tire OF that ecclesiastical power whose influence
is extended over so large a portion of the
world
PALM SUNDAY
These services CONNIE need on Palm Sunday
| with the conservation of the palms at st. Pc
tsr's. In order to obtain eligible situations at
any of the ceremonies, tickets are issued to la
dies, and this year the demand for these color
ed papers was very large, and as about four
were issued for each place, the crowd and
pressure among black silks and lace wells can
be imagined. Gentlemen who wear evening
dress coats have the privilege of being jostled
in jam of those similarly attired. The SER
vices were to commence at O'clock and be-
fore that time the seats and standing places
about the tribune were full Of flushed faces as
closely crowded as herrings in box. The rest
of the church, the nave and transept was fill-
ed with an immense crowd. A double rank
| of soldiers extended from the door to the high
altar. In the rear of the grand altar tempo
rary pontifical chapel had been fitted up for
the Pope, hung with silk hangings trimmed
| with gold. In the centre was the Pope's
throne. The soldiers of the Swiss Guard and
| Gards Mobile were in front and about the
high altar. The Pope was dressed in scarlet
robe trimmed with gold, and had a white mitre
on his head. I obtained very good position
| from which to witness the ceremonies
The Pope was borne into the church in q
chair on the shoulders of twelve men. He was
seated on the throne in the chapel, and attend
ed by host of Cardinals, Bishops &c., in
their scarlet and violet robes Cardinals Bon
aparte, Antionslli and other celebrities were
pointed out to me- After mass said by one
OF the Cardinals the palms were consecrated
by his Holiness. They were of braided palm
leaf about four feet long, and the tops were in
the form of spear or cross They were car
ried to the Pope in order, and he laid his hands
on them, and then distributed to those about
him. After all the palms had been blessed, a
procession was formed, headed by the choir.
and the Pope was borne on the shoulders Of
men accompanied by the cardinals and other
ecclesiastics, officers in uniform, foreign am
bassadors, &C., all bearing the consecrated
palms, and passed up and down the nave, the
Pope waving his hands to the crowd who were
on their knees or bowling with uncovered
heads.
After tie return of the procession mass in
music was performed at the high altar, occu-
pying an hour. The Pope then escorted by
the Cardinals advanced toward the high altar,
knslt ON cushion and performed amid breath
less stiffness his devotiols. He was then car
ried out of the church on his throne. The
singing by the different choirs, unascompan-
led by the organ, was exquisite, and the dis
| play was very imposing. 1t did not have much
the appearance of a religious ceremony, or
resemble at all the recorded account of its
first observance when Christ in his humility
entered Jerusalem.
THE lusBRKRE.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the
Miserere was sung at tn Sistine Chapel in the
Vatican, at which the Pope was present, and
also at the choir chapel in st. Peters. As that
is one of the first com positions of church mu-
sic, and tee choir of st. Peters is one of the
the finest in the world, the crowd ON the differ
ent days was very large, and the chapels were
filled almost to suffocation. Previous to the
service triangle of candles is prepared, and
they are extinguished one by one till solita-
| ry candle sheds its glimmer amidst the dark
ness, while with breathless stiffness the crowd
ed audience listens to the angelic strains of
the choir, chanting with exquisite melody the
| penitentiaI psalm, and are snraptured with
beautiful harmony.
THE LAvANDA.
On Thursday all business was suspended
and at II O'Clock the Pope gave his pontifcal
blessing to the people assembled in the square
of ST. Peters. After which the layanda or
feet washing of II priests by the Pope took
place in one of the chapels of St. Peters. The
chapel was decorated with damask and tap
estry, representing the last supper, from Leo
nardo da Vinci. The Pope, preceded by the
cardinals in violet robes entered the chapel
His Holiness put on linen apron trimmed
with lace; he then took gold basin contain
ing cold water, and after that sandals and gai-
tsrs had been removed, washed the right foot
of each priest wiping it with a napkin, kissing
it and presenting to each one a bouquet of
flowers. Shortly after they all moved to a
room over the corridor where the IL priests
served at the table OF the Pope. There meni-
al services, as performed by him, being sym
bolical of the humility Of the Saviour, whose
representative the Pope claims to be. During
the week large numbers of pilgrims arrive at
Rome, men, women and children, coming on
foot many miles to worship at the shrine Of St.
l Patar Eorf l. H.
church La 7rinita dc Pellegrini, which has a
hospital connected with it, where 1900 per-
sons can be accommodated. Each evening
the ceremony of washing the feet of these
pilgrims by ladies and gentlemen of the high
est rank in Rome, and By the cardinals took
place, and it attracted large numbers of the
travellers there. 1t is a religious penance per-
formed by these devotees of the Romish
church. and the subjects of it seemed to enjoy
itgreatly.
l witnessed the washing of the feet of a
number of men, by Cardinal, and it appear
ed to me that little washing of their persons
would be as beneficial to them. After the GER
emony, the pilgrims were ushered into large
halls, where they sat down to bounteous re-
past served to them by the Roman nobility.
THE EXHIBITION OF RELICS.
On Thursday in one of the chapsls OF st.
Peter were exhibited for the veneration Of the
kneeling multitude, what are called the three
principal relics A piece of the cross on which
the Saviour was crucifed; the handkerchie
that wiped the Sweat from his face, and the
head of the lance that pierced his side. They
are preserved in the gallery over the static o.
St Veronica, and are shown to the public on.
ly on this occasion. Near the church of st.
John de Lateran is the chapel containing what
is called the Scala Santa or the stairs, consist
ing of % marble steps, stated by the church
tradition to have been taken from tho house OF
Pontius PLATE, and to be the identical steps
which our Saviour descended when he left the
Judgment seat. As such they are held in great
veneration by all true Catholics, and indul-
gences are granted to those who ascend them
on their knees. All during holy week they
were full of penitents. working themselves
up, some with great deal of devotion, kissing
each step, others going up quite rapidly as il
it was job to be done in short time. At
the head of the stairs is an efigy of Christ
with bleeding wounds, around which candles
were burning, and the contributions of the
penitents were made around the image in o
pile OF copper coin. H. p
Letter from Washington.
l 'fs ..l B. fI4 -ft o~;l