The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-25
THE GOLDEN ROSE.
The Costly Present Which the Popes Some
times Send to Great Women.
Tail

! 49, $4,000 'OoN-.
The Costly Present Which the Ropes Some
times Send to Great Women.
London Tablet
From a continental contemporary We
translate the following interesting article:
A good deal has been said lately about
| the "Golden Rose, chiefly on account of
the report that the pope intended to con-
! fer the distinction this wear on Nine. Car
not. The news, published by several
| French papers, was incorrect, but il has
most ancient pontifical decorations.
In early times the Golden Rose was Of
| fered by the pontiiis to the pref cts of
/ Rome, after having been carried to the
church OF Santa CrOce. Later on it was
| given to the most famous sanctuaries. to
catholic sovereigns. to queens, princes
and princessee, famous generals and great
personages devoled to The church.
As none OF the roses offered to the
basilicas are extant, IL is impossible to as
certain the model then in Use. 1t is only
known that it was merely single flower
| in red enamel, to initiate the roses nat
ural color. Afterward, instead of enamel,
a large ruby was placed in the middle of
the rose, giving a deep red luster to the
flower Innocent N. had superb Gold
! ounces, and adorned with several
sapphires. The rose offered by Clement
NJ. TO the queen and dauphin of France
was valued at upward of ESQ. 1t
weighed eight pounds of gold, and had
magnificent sapphire in the middle.
Nowadays the Golden Rose costs about
e400. Ii is placed on a branch with
leaves and several flowers, planted in a
vase of silver gilt, with the papal arms in
relief and an inscription.
The explanation given of the symbol
ism is this: "The rose svmbolizes by its
gold the Almighty Lord OF all things; by
the splendOr and richness of the metal,
the eternal light wherein the Godhead
dwells; by the perfume and balsam put
inside by the pope, the glory and resur-
rection of Christ
The rite OF benediction is exceedingly
solemn. The holy father, arrayed In his
sacerdotal vestments, reads the formula of
benedictiOn from q book held by one OF
the bishops assistant at the pontifical
throne. Two other bishops stand at his
sides with lighted candles. The exalted
dignitaries OF the papal court surround the
pOntif and bear the thurible, holy water
vessel, and the vases OF balsam and per
tunes. One OF the cGBler5eri Segretj pdrtjcj-
pant, kEeeliug down, presents the golden
rose, which has been hitherto standing on
q Credence between two lighted wax can
dies. The pope, recitng the prayers,
blesses this incense, ba.sam, and perfumes,
which are presented TO him one after an
other by a cardinal. Having placed them
inside the flower he blesses the latter
itself.
The rose is also presented with great
ceremony by an ablegate specially de-
puted by the holy father. During the
mass the rose is placed ON the altar, and,
after the he EiSsn est, the ALLOCATE reads
aloud the brief OF the holy father and pre-
sents this brief 10 the recipient, who rises
and places his or her hand on the vase as
ii TO take it. The AblegGte then repeats
the following formula: Take from our
hands the rose which we give to thee by
specill commission intrusted to us by the
holy father. Pope y. May this rose Gig
nifty to thee the Joy of the church militant
and triumphant; for the rose, the most
beautiful of flowers, symbOlizes the crown
OF eternal glory"
If the recipient be king or queen, the
abegate adds: "May your majesty &C.
cept this gift, and with it the divine grace
which the holy father implores for you in
its fullness and entirety from God, who
reigns for ever and ever. Amen"
The sovereign having kissed the rose,
the ablegate announces TO all present that
the pope grants a plenary indulgence to
all the members of the royal or imperial
family.
To the above interesting details we may
add few more, gathered chiefly from a
bull of Benedict XIV OH this subject. 1t
appears that some writers attributed the
first origin of the rose to st. Leo N, but
the learn Bedenedict proves that the Gus
tom WAS still more ancient, though he de-
clares the origin cannot be discovered.
The most ancient gilt of the rose, after the
time when it used to be given to the pre-
fects of Rome, is that made by Urban III
in 1896 to Fulk, count of Anglers, after the
Council OF Tours. The first lady to re-
ceive it was Queen Joanna of Naples in
1868 from the last named pope, who also
gave one TO the basiica OF st. Peter.
1t would be impossible to repeat the
long list of recipients (which may be seen
in Moroni). We may select just few.
Martin V gave it to the republic of Flor
ence (l4l9) EugeniusIV in l444to Henry
VI, king of England; Nicholas V TO the
Empress + eanor (l452l; Innocent VIII
in 1856 to King James III OF Scotland
Alexander VI to Queen Isabella of Spain,
1893, and next year to the Sanctuary of
Our Lady of Hal, in Flanders; julius III
TO Henry VIII of England, who received
it yet twice again from Leo X and Glenn
ent VII 1924. paul III sent it to Queen
Catherine de Medici; Julius III $500 to
Queen Mary OF England; Gregory XIII
in 1884 to the Sanctuary of Loreto, as also
Sixtus V.
Once more the rose came to England in
1928, sent by Urban VIII to Queen Hen
rietta. About this time it became usual
to bestow it on queens and princesses.
Venice, or its doges, received the rose
about SIX times, the last time from Greg
ory XVI in 1883. Plus IL gave il to his
Roddaughter, Maria PA. daughter of King
Victor Emmanuel, afterward queen of
Portugal, and in 1910 to the queen OF the
Two Sicilies, whose daughter be baptized
at Gaeta-
He Would MAKE - rs a Husband,
LIatrnlt Lraa pre.s