, 1875-03-21
RELIGIOUS NEWS.
The Solemn Ceremonies Of Tho Re-
man Catholic Church from Palm
Sunday Until Easter.
Which Are Yearly Witnessed by
Thousands, but Which Few
Understand.
Tho Nature, ORIGIN, and Aim Of tht Mr-
vices Of Holy Thursday, Good Friday,
and Holy Saturday.
The Respective Relations of
High Church and Low
Church to Holy
Week.
The Hebrew Festival Of Purin1---How
It 0riginatcd---The Back Of
Esther.
The First American Cardinal and
His New Costume,
Ir1emediable De.eat Of Dr.. Do Koyeu---
Dean Stanley on the Book Of
Genesis.
Opinions Of the Religious Press-Notes !
and Personals at Home and |
Abroad.
Opinions Of the Religious Press-Notes
and Personals at Home and
Abroad.


HOLY WEEK.
FEoM PALM SUNDAY TO EASTER.
To-day, Palm Sunday, is the beginning Of
Holy Week." which, closing on the eve OF
Easter. terminates the penitential season OF
Lent in tho Roman Catholic aud Episcopal
Churches. The latter, except its ritualistic
faction, takes little note Of the "week of Hor-
rows" as Is indicated below; but in the Catholic
Church the ceremonies ara numerous and e1-
traordinary, engrossing the Hhole Of nearly
every day and evening with public and private
devotion, and presenting to the millions outside
that faith an unique and enigmaticA ensemble
as nsoluble as the Eleusinian mysteries. Yet
the highest wisdom OF the Church, its learn
ing and it's taste, have boen brought
to bear upon tho designs hnd details
OF these manifold ceremonies; and, when
patiently examined, they are found to ba replete
with history aud poetry, and as chaste and elo-
vated in conception ss they arn natural in their
grouping and coherent and appropriate IN their
application The subject which is constantly
Kept in mind is the passion aud death Of Christ.
PALM SUNDAY.
The first tay OF Holy Week commentaries tho
entry Of Christ into Jerusalem, when the Jews
cut branches of the palm trees and strewed
them On tho path over which he was to pass.
It also represents the deliverance Of thu
people OF God from the slavery Of Egypt
and Of their entrance into the Land OF
Promise. Hence. Whsn the '.ooassion approach
es the Church, tho knocking st the door vita
the foot OF the cross signifies that the gates Of
Heaven are to be opened TO us only bv the Sac
.idce OF Christ apon the fatal tree. In Eastern
countries, palms and olive-branches are blessed
The first typifying triumph, the second mercy
but where these trees do not grow, the lack is
satisfactorily supplied By any sort Of green
boughs. These being placed beside the altar,
and tue clerical procession having entered the
sanctuary, the priest sprink1os holy water over
the palms, while the choir sings:
Hoe.nn. to the Son Of David Blessed Is be that
comes in the name Of the Lord Q Ktng of 1erael
Hosanna in the highest!
After prayer bs the priest, the sub-deacon it
it be solemn mass, the ca}abrant it It be not.
recites the Lesson from Exodus ". and xvi, and
hew xxi, i, 5-t1e latter being tho recital OF
Christ's entry into Jerusalem. An appropriate
and beautiful prayer follows, after which the
preface is chanted, the choir singing the Sanctus
The palms are fumed with incense, and are then
distributed by the cclebrant to the clergy and
During the ceremony, the antiohoua, *'the
Hebrew Children, are sung. Finally the blessed
palms arc distributed to the people, and the
nass is proceeded with, which does not differ
notably from the ordinary mass except Ia
The reading Of the Gospel, which includes the
entire history Of Christ's passion a. narrated by
Mathew XVI, xvii. Tbs veHpers TN the even
ing) include the famous hymn, Ve1iua Regis,
Behold the Royal Ensigns Fly"
TIE INTERVENING OATS.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ct Holy
Week, there ara no public services Of an especial
Kind. Low rnasses-masaes which are not sung
are said in al the churches, aud tho various
portions Of the liturgy are arranged With refer
ence to the great text OF the Week. The epistlo
psssion ' according to John. TaesdaS tho epis:ls
is from Jeremiah H., and the gos:el ia the
passion according 10 Mark. Wednesday, tho
epietle is from Isaiah, t'Te1l the daughter Of
Zion. behold thy Savior oometh, " and The .gos-
pei is thu passion according to Luke. Wednes-
day evening, the Church intoues
TIE TENEDnK.
This is one Of tho most solemn aud touching
features Of tue eDtiro Lentea service; but the
effect is largely destroyed by the unfavoring
conditions un9sr which it is usually performed
messy has been given to it because it represents
tile state OF the Church during the sunerings
OF Christ, which it anticipates, and be-
cause, also, the candles in the sanctuary
are extineuished during it's rendition. The
tene6re Of each evening belongs 70 tho succeed
Holy or Mauudy Thursday; that on Thursday
night to Good Fridnv and TINT OF Friday night
to Holy Saturday. The te7ee6ro is composed Of
psalms expressive Of sorrow, desolatlon, and
prayer, Of the Lamentations Of Jeremiah. and
OF lessons frem St. Paul, St. Augustine, and
other apostles and doctors The vhole is Ut
tered in Gregorian chant,-A form OF song 20
rsdicallv different from that to which modern
music has accustomed the tongue and the ear
that rpecisl trimming is required for its proper
deIiverance, and upon the skill aud taste Of the
chauters depend the effect upon the listener.
Well performed by male yolces,-it il adapted
onlr for these.-thesa gloomy Offices darken
the imagination aud euf1use the soul in
to harmony with tho spirit Of the Church.
But the words being Latin, and IN
reticsls speaking, devolves upon the quality Of
the chant, aud, as tho American priest usually
lacks the gifts or attainments which constitute {
good chaates, tbs beautiful symbolic sombfeness
OF the performance too often dc3enerates into
mere haste to e.: through. In she early days OF
the Church. when GreSo.iau chant was the solo
rule Of music, and when organs did not exist,
tue congregations sAng the chAuts, either in
Latin OF their ve.nncular, and the purpose de-
oicued in the ienebr1 was then accomplished.
The Germans have preserved the custom Of con-
gTogational singing, and this portion Of tho
Lenten services will b most expressive
N their churcdea- Tho innovations made
by Italian music gradually transferred the song
of the Church from the congregations to the
cnoi.s- aud tie abuses which accumulated in the
Popa's chapel at Romc no 1oman's voice is ever
hoard, and many churches in Italy. England,
and Spain, aod = few N tho Cnled States. iui-
+,+n .h;m atrfcEIv 2rthfdnY AxamDfA and tnteraka