The sun., 1893-03-13
THE hporHEosIs or LEO xuL
An Ecciesisstie's Account OF the Great Cere.
monY In 81. Peters Church.

Peter's responded to the general expectation.
1t was almost a Photographic repetition OF the
jubilee mass OF the st OF January. 1893. Tho
only difference that can note is that the
weather was finer. the assembly moro elec-
trifed and the Pope younger. What an eter-
nal young man the Pope Is! How self pos
sessed and how energetic! With what over
flowing moral and physical youthfulness he
blessed the crowdl l shed tears Of emotion
and admiration when on tho 1st OF January |
bowed my head under the hand OF Leo KILL.
when his penetrating and sonorous voice fled
the dome OF ST. Peters. while q thousand on
thusiastic echoes gave wings to his pa
thetic accents. To-day on coming out OF the
Temple OF Light my soul was more radiant; it
scared in n higher atm osphere. rs IL the least
had assumed n more immaterial character
Christ assembled Tabor once only. II tho
apostles had Witnessed n repetition OF that
vision would not their enthusiasm have been
mingled with serenity which the shock OF
the unexpected could not produce at flrst2
Nine o'clock sounds. St Peters resem bles a
garden OF nations waiting to applaud the
coming King. The basilica. that masterpiece
OF Renaissance art. appears like living ocean.
Through the windows In the rear the rays Of
the sun lend an almost supernatural magnil-
cence to the spectacle
In Mary Stuart Schiller has beautifully
described the splondors OF this festival The
unique harmony of st. Peters lends itself to
tho grandeurs OF the m manifestation. Ono would
imagine that 1t was living. and that Its life
ralpitated with the soul OF the assembly.
From the portico to tho sanctuary the naves
seem to move with the human flood. All the
universe Is represented in this space. Around
the altar, that monument both fantastic and
simple. which displays its elegance under the
inmitable dome. the tiers Of seats form q
~. f1.s nx A. II
the ambassadors in their gay and many.col-
ored costumes bespaneled with gold. In
the front rank is NJ de Behaine. the
representative Of France. Gen. Won Los. the
envoy OF William H.. is introduced to him by
M. de Rsvertera the man Of the Sovereign OF
Austria and Hungary. The ceremonial smile
and the Jfnesse OF the French diplomat animate
this discreet side talk. But We. the spectators
OF this kind OF salon. forming the circle in tho
sanctuary Of St. Peters. notice that NJ. de
Bthaine seems at ease. and that his mind Is
absorbed by the splendors Of the decorations
and OF the scene. An American prelate placed
near me murmured in my car. The Ambassa-
dor OF France takes 1t easy. It is not difficult
to see that in the lay world he is the first power
in Rome. II Mr.. Harrison had representative
here to-day he would share this sentiment and
this security" Gen. Won Loe and the Austrian
Ambassador are absorbed in their conversa-
tion. which is carried on in . very low tone
during the festival. Behind them saw only
one physiognomy in relief. It was that OF NJ.
Iswolsky. He was placed behind the ladies'.
In his AsIatio costume highly colored. he OBJ
served the expressions Of tho faces OF his
neighbors. Opposite was tho Roman arls-
tocracy. exhibiting its faded grace and the
elegance Of the old race: but 1t displayed
nothing remarkable: while all around were
the tiers of seats. with cosmopolitan faces.
and In the centre. behind tho altar, figured
thirty seven Cardinals and . hundred and
thirty Bishops who enlightened tho centre of
tho feast with their bright and highly colorsd
costumes.
Before and after the mass. at the time whom
the rejecting soul gives freedom to the spirit
OF observation. notice how tho curious
study these Senators. There Is Cardinal Ram
polla. with his emaciated and ascetic face. In
which the image Of his Master is reflected. II
it were possible to look into that soul. ono
might read it's prayer for the blessing Of tho
Lord. who has visibly blessed tho instructions
sent from Rome to tho world Of the humble.
upon the French republic and the American
democracy.
A little closer to tho altar was Cardinal Pa
rochi. tho Vicar OF his Holiness He watched
the Pope with eyes OF ardent admiration. Car
dinal Mertel. the oldest man In the Sacred
College, loaded with years. chants delightfully."-
the liturGio verses OF the Te Dsum. with q
plenitude Of voice which reflects his Sim
comic enthusiasm. 1t is the old mems day.
decidedly. Their strength inspires one with a
holy envy. Close by are the ndiscreet and tho
initiated. Behind the Pope the strangers
point out to each other tho Count de Mun-the
Italians pronounce his name "Moun"-who
seems delighted with the admiration OF
which he is the object. Don't you
think" said French prelate to me. that
the immediate proximity Of the French Dep
uty constitutes quito q symbol? Deputy
and a foreign layman at that SO close to tho
Popel That looks like sign OF the times.
Who will say now that the Church is immov-
able. and that it fears the invasion Of the mod
ern world ?" The people who are close to us
smile. and whea l noticed. q little further
on. the silhouettes OF the correspondent Of
the A0ence Hara and of the American corre-
spondents. 1t seemed to me chat my indiscreet
interlocutor raised q corner Of tho veil Of the
future
At a quarter to 10 burst OF applause. start
ing at the rear Of the basilica. announced the
arrival OF the King OF the day. The White
Man appears borne upon his triumphal chair.
as II ftransflgured by tho waving OF the Orien-
tal plumss. The entire assembly responds to
the announcement. The enthusiasm. the ap-
plause. the unison Of voices from all tho repre-
sentatves OF the universe. the emotion OF the
electrified souls. that mysterious impression
which TRANSPORTS tho imagination. that diaph-
anous apparition. almost supernatural and de-
materialized. that face framed by those
columns and that assembly. which a sun
beam transhgures. that inspired and pure
forehead. that inimitable nobility OF express
sion which reflects tho visions OF the heart,
that delicate hand OF amplo benedictiops.
from which escapes sort OF protecting spirit.
and all those $4,000 men. standing up
right In line facing the PontiG. n o pen can de-
scribe. Neither art nor eoIuence could de-
pict such scene. in which everything is
simple. grand. extra-human and unexpected.
Leo XIII. resembles those saints with
ideal faces whom the middle age has placed
in its mystic windows: or in other words.
the facs has Il soul peculiar to itself. far be-
yond all our modern types. and presents q
vision so new that tho mind involuntarily
dreams OF those white physiognomies OF the
other world. And tho thing which electrhes