The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-16
PAPAL JUBILEES AT ROME.
Something Of Their history ana the Cere-
monies Of Their Celebration.

PAPAL JUBILEES All ROME.
something OF Their history ana the Cere-
monies Of Their Celebration.
m Y. Worldl
The Pope has proclaimed an indulgence to
the whole Catholic world In the form of a
jubilee, which began on Sunday last and will
end on Whit-Sunday, the benefits of which
are extended to all residents of or visitors to
Rome who. being In o state Of grace, shall
have twice during that period visited the
churches OF st. Peters, st. John Lateran and
Santa Maria Maggiore, and prayed for the
prosperity and exaltation OF the Catholic
Church. the extirpation OF heresy. the con-
version of all sinners, the concord Of all
Christian princes the Republique Franchise
remarks that there is not word about con-
cord among republics the peace and unity Of
all the faithful and for the Popes intention,
and who also shall have followed the rules
regarding fasting, almsgiving and receiving
the holy communion, which the letter an
nouncing the jubilee lays down. Those who
cannot visit Rome may obtain the benefits by
twice visiting three churches at the place
where they reside; or, IL there are but two
churches, visiting each thrice, or whore there
Is but one church, paying six visits thereto.
The rules prescribed In the Cardinal Secre-
| tary of States letter are for the most part In
| exact conformity with those prescribed on
the occasion of the jubilee of 1875.
Though ecclesiastical historians have car
ried back the institution Of the jubilee to a
period OF almost fabulous antiquity" the
| frat Jubilee of which there Is distinct men
ton and irrefragable evidence is that intro
duced In 1900 by Boniface VIII, who foundt d
the decree for It's celebration on precedent
at the beginning OF the preceding century
which Is characterized as imaginary The
Ammo Santa was proclaimed by the Pope Mt q
Congregation in st. Peters; King Frederick
and the Sicilian nation and the whole family
OF the Colonna, however, were expressly and
by name excluded from the spiritual favors
OF the proclamation. The success Of the great
Jubilee was beyond expectation. One author
ity declares that 2,0O0,0 900 pilgrims visited tho
Eternal City, and so great was oftentimeS the
crush that people were suffocated or trampled
to death. VILLAIN records Ia his Cronica that
CONTINUALLY and throughout the entire year
there we're in Rome, besides the native popu-
laton, 100000 pilgrims. and that all were
properly supplied, and eontented, with vic
tuafs, as well for men as for horses, and this
without tumult or strife, as ! can bear
witness. who was present and saw 1t
all. Much treasure was secured to the
Church from the offerings made by
the pilgrims: and the Romans enriched them
selves by their merchandise" Other con-
carry out the intentions Of the Pontiff, meat,
fish, bread and wine were sold ut the usual
tariff. Latin chronicle asserts that the
Pope received from the pilgrims "a countless
sum of money for night and day two priests
stood before the altar of st. Paul holding
rakes In their hands, raking up coin without
end" On the other hand, Cardinal Stefanes-
Chi intimates that the sum obtained that year
at st. Peters in excess OF the usual annual
contributions was only $4,000 florins., For the
lon, ~ bn nil fvrir thA 1ID I'D
Christi-the kerchief which St Veronica Is
said to have applied to the Savlour's face
during the journey to Cavalry. receiving the
impression Of his features upon the linen
was exhibited on every Friday and solemn
festival during the jubilee, as to this day 1t is
exposed In St. Peters during Holy Week.
Bonlface appeared on this occasion dressed in
imperial robes, and having borne before him
the two swords emblematic Of spiritual and
temporal dominion.
The breaking down of the symbolic sacred
gate was not among the ceremonies at this
jubilee, which 1T i5 quite likely was not called
a jubilee, nor Is 1t clear whether the Pope In
tended that fifty or hundred years should
elapse before the next holy year. when 1850
came round Clement vi was on the Papal
throne at Avignon. In decreetDg the jubilee
he fixed for the future at every hall century.
Rienzi, who visited him In 1884, f5 credited,
together with an embassy OF thirteen mem
bers from Rome, one Of the thirteen being
Petrarch, with having obtained from the alb
sent Pope the proclamation of the Jubilee rs
a mark of favor to Rome. The Ammo Santo OF
1860 is said to have been even more successful
than It's predecessor, for VILLAIN says there
were 100000 visitors between Christmas and
Easter and 100000 at the feasts OF Ascension
and Pentecost. Urban Nv ordered three jubl-
lees to be held In each century, or one in each
generation; Paul III provided for a jubilee In
every twenty-iifth year, decision which has
since been respected when 1t was possible to
do SO. Twenty jublees have already been
held In Rome At that Of 1926 there were
$40, 375 pilgrims, SO that there. Is no reason to
doubt the accuracyof Villanfs figures given
above II the presidents of the past were fol-
lowed, on Saturday week after vespers the
Pope was carried on his throne to the Atrium
Of St. Peters. where, all doors being shut, he
proceeded to open the walled up Porta Santa,
striking it three times from the outside with
silver hammer, when masons standing on
the inner side began demolishing 1t. On the
same evening three Cardinal Legates, with
similar formalities, opened the Lateran and
Santa Maria Maggiore.