Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-12-30
HE ECVMENICAL COUNCIL.
Imposing Scenes ne the Openinx-The
Address Of the POPe-FOlitical and
Social QneNfiOsaS

1net. letttr opens with the statement tha 4
"the weather was exceedingly bad; the sky was
bitter, black and rainy, such a sky as Dr. Cum
ming might be supposed to have ordered:- but
adds I'm spite of the weather, however, the
Romans, willing even TO he washed rather than
lose their holiday, crowded the Piazza di San
Pietro; literally crowded il from the break OF
day on. Long before reached the Basilica the
Fathers of the council had begun 20 assemble in
the halls and galleries of the Vatican Palace 10
attic nd the divine service, which was appointed
TO be performed by the Pope himself, at an
altar erected for the purpose IN the upper hall
OF ST. Peters. Punctually at O'Clock the
Pondh appeared, and kneeling before the
shrine, intoned with that clear, siIvery voice
the sustained vigor and sweetness of which
neither trials can wear down nor time make
thin, the beautiful psalm of the Vein Creator.
The Grand Procession is thus described by
the correspondent, who had recently witnessed
the opening of the Suez Canal: BY little after
nine o'clock the procession got into motion and
sailed forth in the sight OF the dense multitude
toWarSs 'e tSe gpaad rssiihnI ne OF ,he Portieo
Even under that dull, gray, showering sky, il
was striking and picturesque sight; but as L
recalled the magnificent glow and splendor of
the oriental scenes through which L have just
been passing, at Stamb0ul and in Egypt, il
seemed to me sadly to lack both life and color
In comparison with the glittering vision of the
Sultan's caiques, gold-lacquered and crimson
canopied, sweeping up, with wide-glancing white
oars, over the deep, blue Bosphorus, TO the mar
Bile steps OF the Mosque of Ali, or with the fan
tastlc, nuttering, yariegated lines of the Be
douin escorts, which had galloped past me so
often over the yellow sands of Ismaiiia bearing
with them the Empress Of the French or the
Kaiser of Austria. as i'm a sudden whirlwind of
scarlet and white and steel and gold, this long,
winding. slow-pacing procession Of hooded
monks and cowled friars, of black-robed priests
am; anu I'm smiie-mitred bisheps showed like drawing
lored painting OF Paole Neronese. The way was
opened by the 6UsSoldnti, the ushers of the Amos
tec Palace IN their violet supplies and girdles.
and extraordinary, the twelve black-scarfed
ConsistOrial Advocates, whose functions corre-
spond after fashion with those of the public
orators" at the English universities; the Came
rieri a. fGnOre, or honorary chamberlains, in their
violet surplices and great sleeveless violet
cloaks; the Cdmerieri Segreti, looking as IL they
walked in a body out of Nandyke's pictures; the
viOlet-tasseled singers of the Pontifical Chanel,
whose singular duty it is to cheat Santa Cecilia
if she ever listens TO their singing) into the be-
lief that they are performers OF her own sex; the
College of the Prelates, excepting only the four
"prelates OF the violet tassels, !" whose preroga-
tlves point the way directly up for them into the
College OF Cardinals, and who are accordingly
allowed to follow directly after, instead of pre-
cedlng the Pope, on such occasions as the pres
ent; the Masters OF the Sacred Hospitals. the
Thurifers swinging their gilded and smoking
censers, the cross-bearers holding high the sa,
cred emblem, the acOlytes in their decent garb
of white.
But all these were precursors only of the great
body Of the show which Rome braved the rain
to see, and kind Of suppressed sob OF gratifica-
ton went up from the close-packed multitude
as the first file appeared of the gathering mitres
OF the hierarchy of the church. The mitred alb
bots led the array, close followed by the bish-
ops, the archbishOps, the primates and the pa
triarchs, the cardinals, and crown of all, the
Pope himself, swsying giddily TO and fro above
the undulating line in the sedid gestdtOrid, the
portable throne OF the successors of Peter.
The POntiff turned towards the vast shouting
and struggling masses of the crowd in the Plaza
his bright, sweet, venerable face with smile OF
which it really Is hardly too much to saw, as IL
vas said OF the smile OF the Princess OF Lor-
raine, that "to look upon it is like standing i'm
the sunshine" As had seen him last, Stand
ing on the eteps of>San Paolo fuore le Mura, on
an 1s npg gay Hu2ss 81 gSne Ls 80 see%sd the PSge
not one hair older, not a thought more troubIed'
not shade saddened by the flight OF the mo-
ments which are carrying him forward so fast
ever there was man OF whose face one NAV
say, as poor Margaret Fuller said of the sun
'.his own inward thought maketh him glow. :"
the Pope is that man. He, and not another.
devised and determined upon this great. This
perilous experiment Of an Ecumenical Council
The letter next gives graphic description of
the Hall OF the Council, and the great crowd of
distinguished people therein, and saws:
Among them i made out the Empress of
Austria, who arrived here yesterday, istrictly
incognito,) and her sisters, the ex-Queen of Ma
pies and the Countess of TRAM, three women
whose grace and beauty are worthy of a better
fate than the dismal sort of life to which their
exalted birth has condemned them; the Count of
Girgenti and the ex-king of Naples two un-
happy looking royal personages, just new of a
place. but both gotten up quite marvelously in
scarlet uniform, blazing with orders; a couple
of English generals, General Sir Vincent Eyre
and General Darlington; several German am
bassadors and ministers, in abundant gold lace:
knot OF French officers; Spanish grandee,
and OF Roman dignitaries and Roman Ia
dies, i know not how many, nor in what
strange sta and splendid varieties Of costume
st. Peters to-day was as dark as ST. Paul,s on
the solemn eve Of the funeral of the Iron Duke.
An awful gloom brooded over the whole scene.
Vast as Is the capacity of the church, it was,
like the piazza without, literally filled to the
utmost, and the darkness, which made it DIM
cult to distinguish the faces of persons who sat
but few PAGES from me within the enclosure
of the Council Hall, being equally profound
and almost appalling upon the huge multitude
without. The white mitres and stoles of the
bishops alone relieved in a certain measure the
gloom, as in an apparently interminable order
they advanced two by two to salute, first the
Pontiff, sitting white-mitred in his narrow, al
most Mahometan pulpit throne, and then the
great circle of the crimson-robed cardinals be-
hind him.
This ceremony alone consumed, by the watch.
an hour and three-quarters. When it was over
the Cardinal Deacon Patirzi advanced and cell
ebrated high mass at the altar. A series of
ceremonies then followed, winch eliminated i'm
the mYestiture Of the Pope with the pallium by
one Of the Cardinal DeacoRs, while high and
shrill resounded the chanting of oss,ms bv the
singers Of the chapel The Pope, once Invested.
took his seat, aud tie whole body Of the athers
orstmpleu An the OrQer OF their rank. proceeded
to pass before him, making reverential homage
as they paused at his throne, and kissing each
in his turn the Fisherman's Ring on his extended
hand. This ceremony il was impossible 70 wit
ness without feeling profoundly impressed by
the magnitude and the subtlety of the relations
to which it bore witness between this ancient
seat Of dominion and the soul and mind of the
whole civilized world.
The following is a translation of the Pope's
address to the Council:
Venerable Bretkren-What we asked OF God by
many supplications and prayers-that we NAV
be able TO inaugurate the Gcumencal Council
appointed by us-this has been granted, TO our
great joy, by the remarkable and singular grace
of God. Our hearts, therefore, exults in the
Lord, and Is suffused with inconceivable conso-
lation, because on the most auspicious anniyer-
sary of the festival of the Immaculate Com
ception of the Virgin Mary, mother Of God YOU
who have been called to participate in our solic-
itude have assembled in greater number than
formerly in this citadel OF the Catholic religion
and we thoroughly rejoice in your presence
NOW, venerable brethren, you are assembled
here in the name Of Christ, that with us Won
may bear testimony to the Word of God and
Jesus Christ, that you may teach the way of GOD
IN truth to all men with MS, and that Won NAV
Judge with us, under the guidance Of the Holy
Ghost, Of the opposition Of science, falsely So
called. For II ever there was A time
when zeal for the Divine glory and the sal-
vation Of the Lords flock demanded OF IS
TO surround and defend Sion Il - now.
For You see, venerable brethren, With what vi
olence the old enemy of the huuan race has at
tackled, and still attacks th( HOUSE OF God.