The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-12
ROME.
SOLEMN SERVICES IN HOLY WEEK

1t would be o difficult task, indeed, to
give your readers even the most faint
idea, under euch restrictions Cf brevity as
l must observe in the limits of my letter,
of the Holy Week services in the Eternal
City. / shall, therefore, be obliged to pass
over numerous things which would be OF
interest to your readers on that account.
Multitutes of people fiocked to st. Peters
on Palm Sunday, 80 that the passage across
the Bridge of st. Angelo was rendered ex-
ceedingy difficult. I can hardly account
for this unusually immenee concourse of
people, except that many had given ear
too readily to the reports which were
spread about on the day previous, to the
effect that his Holiness intended to receive
his palm at the balcony inside st. Peters,
after which he would give hs blessing. A
large quantity of olive branches and palms
were placed before the altar of the Capeila
Giulia, many of the latter being elaborately
worked. The celebrant, his Eminence
Cardinal Borromeo, archpriest of the basi-
lica, chanted the prayers of the benediction,
after which the choir, under the direction
of Chevalier Melazzi, sang the Sanct"s to
music of mis- own composition. The dis
tribution of the blessed palms then took
place, during which the antiphon Puert
Hebraorum was sung. The procession was
then formed of bishops, prelates, and the
chapter, preceded by the choir, and made
the whole circuit of the vast basiiica. Oa
their return to the chapel, the Passion was
sung by three canons, and the part OF the
Synagogue by select members of the Papsl
choir. The Offertory piece, and Benedictus
after the Elevation, were beautiful in the
extreme-both compositions of Chevalier
Melazzi.
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
evenings the Office of Ienebre was sung in
almost every Church in Rome, but most
Romans, aud certainly all strangers, visited
S..r'l Tn, han En ri fan cd Ia
mentationa. The Cardinal archpriest with
the bishops and chapter attached to the
Basilics, entered the Capella Giulia about
O'clock, and the cftice began with the
singing OF the antiphon by the choir, fol-
lowed by the three psalms in plain chant.
The Lamentations were OF different mas
ters each evening, with full choir, but those
on the LAST evening, By Guglietmi, were
especially beautiful, the Jerusalem at the
end of the Third being extremely effective.
At the eGd of the third uocturn the Bene
dictus was surg in plain chant, and tue
Miscrere, which followed, to the music of
Guglelm.
l shall pass over the Mass of Maundy
Thursday, aud but simply state. for the
Interest of al lovers of plain chant, that
the Credo in plain chant without the organ
presented so sad contrast with the Gloria,
that for the few moments it lasted, st.
Peters seemed to be quite changed. After
ent received Holy Communion from his
hands, after which lighted taper was
given TO each, and the procession formed
to accompany the Blessed Sacrament to
the altar prepared for the sepulchre, during
which the Pange Hngua was beautifully
supX, alternate verses by the choir, replied
to BY the chapter aud people. 1t would be
almost impossible to describe the effect pro-
duced by the procession passing up the vast
basilica, and the hundreds of lights adorn-
ing the altar for the Exposition. All the
huge windows are darkened, to add to the
effect; thus the basilica receives no other
light than that which it receives from this
altar. Certainly it ie sight which, when
seen, is never forgotten. The chapter
then retire from the chapel of the sepulcbre,
and accompanied by the Cardinal Arch
priest proceed in procession to the high
altar. Four of the canons, vested in
plain cotats and black stoles, commence
the spoliation of the altar, after which wiue
and water ls poured over it, emblematic of
the blood and water which flowed from the
sacred side of our Lord. In the meantime,
a small brush of particular kind, made
from the shavings of special wood, is
presented to each, in size according to the
dignity of the person. The Cardinal
Archpriest leads the procession, and is the
first to sweep the wine and water over the
altar, and is followed by the bishops, then
the prelates of the chapter, afterwards the
prelates invited to take part in the func-
ton, then the chapter itself, followed by the
Vatican Seminary, during which the
beautiful antiphon Christus factus est pro
nobts, obedienS uSque ad nsortem is sang by
the choir.
The most interesting function at 81.
Peter g on Good Friday is the benedictien
with the relics. In the Basilica of St.
Peters are preserved some of the most
precious relics of the Passion of our
Blessed Lord, namely, very large piece
of the sacred wood of the True Cross, the
lance of St. Longinus, which pierced the
blessed side of our Lerd, and the handker-
chief of st. Veronica, on which His Sacred
Face was miraculousiy imprinted. These
relics are exposed during the whole day at
the Loggie under the cupolR, and after
Ienebr0 the beuediction takes place, At
the sound of the rattle (for no bells are
ruDg from the Gloria in the Mass of Maundy
Thursday to that of Holy Saturday, one
of the canons Issues forth on the Loggie,
when the faithful Immediately go on their
knees. A profound silence reigns through
out the besilica, and is broken only by the
lncessant buzzing of misbehaved Protest