Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-05-10
rHE aoLpEN ROSE.

ton of This Precious Emblem.
Among the ceremonies which the
pope has announced in his programme
for the ensuing year, says a London
letter, it is said that he proposes to con-
fer the Golden Rose" on the Arch
duchess Margaret Elizabeth, the niece
of the emperor of Austria, who lately
welded the Prince Louis Albert, heir
presumptive to the crown of Wurtem-
berg. She was before her marriage the
Abbess of the secular convent of Hrad-
schin, near Prague, a dignity which
does not entail the pronouncing of any
binding vows OF sever the inhabitants
of the convent from the outer world
for any longer period than they choose.
The pontifcal distinction Of the
golden rose is conferred at intervals of
generally one year upon the queen
or princess who has best merited the
approval of the holy see for services
rendered to the church by pious deeds
or virtuous example. It has always
been source of regret to the queen Of
Italy-an ardent Catholic-thata she
was not to be honored, and there is
little doubt that it has panied the pope
to withhold this mark of great esteem
from one whom he has sincere per-
sonal regard, and that he deplores the
reasons of state and the political ext
gencies that prevent him from present
ing Queen Marguerite with the golden
rose. The last recipient was the queen
of Portugal.
Plus TX. once said that the ''rose"
was the good mark given by the pope
to the royal princess who had been best
laho1
often talked about, the golden rose is
variously described as an order, a rib
bon or brevet. 1t is virtually Meth
er. 1t consists of a costly present made
by the Holy See. The total expenses it
entails are calculated at no less than
two thousand pounds, not small sum
for sovereign whose budget is chiefly
supplied by the Peters pence.
The jewelers. shop whence the 'rose"
comes has fer more than three hundred
years stood in the shadow of the Ba-
silica of ST. Peter. The maker receives
twenty thousand lire for his artistic
work, which, considering its excellence,
is not exorbitant. The stem is
of massive gold, and measures
ice of the flower is of delicate mo-
oeI1SS OLA " A4AS41 ID ClIdSco Du0 udIn0 OF
the reigning pontiff, the date of the
presentation and the titles of the re-
cipient. The golden leaves of the rose
are powdered with diamond dust to
initiate the early morning dew. The
whole is inclosed in magnificent white
satin case studded with silver rosebuds.
The etiquette of presentation DEGREES
that the pope's gift should be carried
NV Hry< i 81
nation; they are selected from the old
est and most illustrious nobility, and
receive fifteen thousand lire each for
travelling expenses.
The statutes of the ceremonial of pre-
| sentation are very curious and explicit.
They say:
1. That a court carriage garlanded
| with white roses, natural or artificial,
shall await the pope's ENJOYS at the sta
/ ton of arrival.
2. In the courtyard of the palace as
they enter it the troops shall present
arms and the drums beat.
8. The elder of the ENJOYS, who has
brought in the white case on his head,
shall deposit it in the saloon appointed
on table covered with a white linen
cloth.
| 4. The court will Immediately resort
to the chapel of the palace and hear a
solemn mass, the metropolitan bishop
| officiating. At the close of the service
the queen or princess honored by the
gift of the Golden Rose shall take her
place under a dais erected in the state
apartment, having the bishop at he1
side. The younger envoy then pro-
cecds to read aloud letter from the
pope, while his colleague, after waving
the rose aloft three times, delivers il
into the bishops hands.
The queen, falling on her knees be
fore the prelate, bends low, and the EN-
blem is placed by him upon her heart
while he says: 'Ecce Rosa Mystica
donum Sanctissimi PATHS" To which
she makes response: ''Deo Gratias!'
The chOristers of the chapel forth
with intone the TIE Deum. At the ter
mination of the anthem the king, ad
vancing in his turn, invests both am
bassadors with the insignia of the ma
tiOnal order and the ceremony is over
When Queen Isabella, being then still
on the throne of Spain, received tn,
Golden Rose from Plus TX. she wa
compelled to perform the last act her
self.
The ambassadors generally carr,
back to the vatican an autograph lette
of the queen or princess and her por
trait, in a rich golden frame embosse,
with roses. The pontifcial letter rea,
by the ENJOYS enumerates at full
length the virtues and merits that hav
entitled the recipient to SO high IA
vor.
1t remains to be seen whether tn
mosaic chalice of the next ''rose" will
still bear the name Of Leo XIII. o
wether it will be inscribed with that O
his successor.-N. Y. Sun.