The Morning herald., 1878-02-16
MORTUARY sOLEMNITIES.
THE oBsEoUIEs OF pIo NoNo-sT. PETERS
IN MOURNING. ray

Long before 10 O'Clock, yesterday morn
ng, the vicinity of St. Peters Pro Cathedral
It Sixth and West streets, was crowded
Win persons anxious to be present at
High Mass of Requiem.for the rep ose.of the
'oul of the dead .Pontiff. The doors were =
opened at 12H o'cle"k and the church was
illed forthwith. We no2ced among those
present very many Of our Protestant citizens
whose reverent attention during the service
was alike .creditable and edifying. The
organ's peal and soul-touching singing of
The choir, deep-toned toll of the funers,
bell, together with black drapery as en-
blems of mourning, and the funeral adorn-
ment Of the church gave to the ceremol
an inexpressibly solemn character. In
front of the beautiful, silver mounted casket
seated upon a catafalque, draped with
black Grape, while around 1t in accordance
with the rubric burned dozen waxen
candles. Ht
J The Right Rev. Bishop Becker was the
celebrant, with the Very Rev. Father Reilly,
Vicar General of the diocese. assistant priest,
the Rev. M. x. Fallon Rev. George Kelly,
sub-deacon Rev. Wendelen Mayer, of the
Order of st. Benedict Rev. M. McGrave,
deacon Of honor; Rev B. J. Kelley and j.
A. Lyons, masters of ceremonies Rev.
Francis Barry, of Hsvre dc Grace Rev. B..
Donaghy of Delaware City, and Rev. J. H.
.Hochkeppel of St. James Church. ,yas'
The celebration of Mass being over, the
Right Rev. Bishop having ..divested himself
of portion of his vestrnent, assembled the
Altar, and for about half an hour encharned
the attention of the enwrapt and attentive
congregation.
"The Lord gave and th g Lord hath taken
away blessed be the name of the Lord"
was the text. ..a4. -E&
Their are over 100000, COO of people
in all parts Of the world are paying the
same last honors to the departed as they
have paid to inuumerdble other saints born
here for the church in Heaven. This dig.
nified service is not the work of man !; it is
the devine work ofGod, Instituted by our
Savior who on the night He was betrayed
took bread and broke it saying, "This is my
fesb;" and of the wine "This is nay bloed."
i After the close OF the Sermon, there was
q grand choral chant, appropriate TO the
Solemn occasion. .- .r- g..
Venerable priests all over the world are
engaged in prayer, bent down in sorrow and
yet smiling as they must their hearts, when
they consider that the venerable Pontiff, the
vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, as sheaf
f fully ripe is garnered into the treasury of
, God, and none dare disclaim his right to
that reward-not even his enemies. OF him
we can say that he was leader in Israel; a
= beacon light which illumined the whole
f world, and the progress of the world has
r been subservient to the guidance of Him
who retained the See of St. Peter for GO
long time that almost four generations
have lived since he was born. He has gone
8 to bis rest and his works will follow him
s Can we weep for such one-should we not
8 rather rejoice that our father has been
'called, in the fullness of his days, 10 the
-, -titude of sanctity to his eternal rev ard
Tho eshop dwelt upon the characteristics
of the depa. tied fontif'; bis firm piety, sin
cere faith and ,,nchanging, immutable ant
eternal patience. He believed In the holy
apostolic church, with 'be earnest faith o
child and robust intelle' 1t o. ohe VINO ha'
read and studied all that is kl'nWn pi earth
ly wisdom. He had the truth a.'d spoke
with the calm dignity of those who neVe
doubt. He taught the doctrine of on
Lord, one faith and one baptism. He re-
fused and said "1 canno'," !" whea they pre-
; sented 10 him things that were impossible
for him as sovereign teacher to accept. Oul
Pontiff was obliged to bear on earth heavy
4 cfoss: surely he must he must have re-
ceived bis crown. Here upon earth he hat
1 nothing, / eeause he was deprived by VII
e lains of his temporal possessions; of ths
7 which belonged not personally to him bu
= to the church; aud yet calmly be bor
the trial, only declaring the truth ant
!. leaving for time and eternity to declar
Is with one accord that he was right ant
the world wrong. Calmly and with patienc
he awaited the coming of the angel tha
was to take him to the bosom, we trust
!, of Abraham, and when the hour came
n having received the last. sacrament, tn
"A rites which are needed by the pontiff a
" they are by the ]owliest human creature
:. he meekly bent his head, and gave up hi
spirit 10 his Maker.