St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-18
HOLY week IN MANY LANDS.
Excitement Attending its Ceie-
bration in. Europe.
HOW IT IS OBSERVED BY The ROMANS.

The Washing OF the Feet of Thirteen
Poor Priests by the POpe-Splendid,
Impressive Ceremonies of the
Spaniartis-stTsnnge scenes
Gay ard sunny Seville.
LONDON, March TO-. People in America
have very faint realization of the excite
ment attending the celebration of Holy Week
in Europe. This name is given to the last
week of Lent, closing with Easter Sunday
and beginning with Palm Sunday. 1t is also
called Passion Week, though the Roman and
Greek churches apply that name to the pre-
ceding week, commencing with Passion Sun
day. In all the Anglican, Greek and Roman
churches the Easter season is one of Joy, of
religious feeling, of freedom from the re-
s5raints of the preceding forty days of Lent.
While in America, Christmas tide mas prece-
dence in popular esteem, as season of fes-
tivity, in Europe the season of Easter is ex-
aited over all other fasts and feasts. The
greater number of Protestant churches do
not celebrate this week, but its observance is
increasing.
Commencing with Palm Sunday in which
palm branches are blessed and borne in pro-
cession by the people, to symbolic the ever
living Life it is designed to commemorate
that day when the people cast palm branches
in the way of Christ as he entered into Jeru-
salem. The business of furnishing these
palm branches at Rome is held by the de-
scendants of that sailor, Bresca of San Reno,
who cried out, "Wet the ropes" as the ODE
isk in front of st. Peters was being raised.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the
Tenebre Tor darkening of the churches to
prefgure the darkness of the crucifxion), is
chanted. A huge candelabra, bearing fifteen
candles, disposed in the form of triangle,
and representing Christ, his apostles, and the
prophets vino foretold his coming, is lighted
While the psalms are sung, the tapers are eX-
tinguished one by one, until the topmost one,
representing Christ, only remains. Then this
is taken down and carried behind the altar,
during the Miserere, after which it is put
back in its place, to signify the temporary
withdrawing of Christ's light Thursday be-
ing the anniversary of the establishment of
the eucharist, and of the priesthood of the
new law, is distinguished by two ceremonies
of great significance, which take place at the
solemn mass in cathedral churches. The
first is the conservation by the bishop, as
sisted by twelve priests, in full sacerdotal
costumes, of the oils used in the administra-
ton of the sacraments, etc. The next is the
washing of feet of twelve poor persons, while
the choir sings st. Johns ''Mandatu3,s
nouoc1,." This day is known as Maunday
Thursday, as baskets or maunds of food are
brought for distribution to the poor. In
Rome, the Pope washes the feet of thirteen
poor priests, in memery of the apostles, IN
Guiding st. Paul. While the Gloria IN e1celsis
is being chanted on this day, the bells sud-
denly break out in joyful peals, and then re-
main silent, until the mass of Holy Saturday
when the Gloria is chanted.
On Good Friday which Americans will re-
member as the anniversary of Lincoln's
death, the altar is stripped, to signify tho
desolation of the church; the prophecies per-
tanning to Christ's sufrerings, the passion of
ST. John are sung, and the procession pro-
ceeds to the sepulchre whence the host is
brought back, and offered to the people for
alteration, and consumed by the officiating
officer. On Saturday the services begin by
the blessing of the ''new fire." obtained from
consecrated fints and steel which are kept in
the churches. The flint symbolizes Christ
our Rock, and the fire the Holy Ghost. The
clergy return in procession, singing the Lit
any of the saints, and the joyous mass, with
its Alleluias, a foretaste of the resurrection.
In Paris, especially, and at most of the
European capitals, the fashionable women
appear in full mourning Great requiem
masses are produced for the first time. and
solemn and splendid professions and services
prove the steadfastness of Christ's followers
on earth. Russia, as one writer expresses it,
is turned into vast camp-meeting.
In Spain, for instance, which is the most
intensely Catholic country of the world, there
are many customs observed, with an intensity.
a religious abandon" that can be found
nowhere else. In Seville, Spain, for example
the customs of 800 years ago in the celebration
of Holy Week are still preserved. Thousands
of foreigners, especially since the ceremonies
atRome have been clipped of their Importance
and the papal seclusion, go to Seville to see
these ceremonies in their original form. The
devotional spirit prevails among all classes
to an extent that impresses the stranger
strongly. By Good Friday, it reaches its
height, and then gradually relaxes until the
afternoon of Easter Sunday, when the bull
fight season is inaugurated amid general re-
joicing, and the warm Andalusian nature
gives itself up to every species of fun and
SayeGy kuOWu among men.
On Palm Sunday, everybody goes to hear
the Passion service chanted by three priests
in dramatic manner, between the altar and
the choir of the most beautiful Gothic cathe-
dral in Europe. These priests are specially
trained, and are respectively tenor, bass and
counter tenor, the first chanting the narrative
without change of the keynote. When he
comes to the words of the others, the bass
sings in deep, resonant voice, with rich
tones, the words of the Saviour, while the
counter tenor impersonates the inferior
characters, and tho multitude are imperson-
ated by band of musicians within the choir.
The effect of this musical dialogue, is indie
scribable. 1t is repeated every day till
Thursday. On Passion Wednesday white
veil conceals the clergy during mass On reach
ing the words: 'The veil of the temple was
rent in twain" the veil before the priests is
split from top to bottom, amid tho laundering
explosions of powder in the lofty galleries.
which symbolic the earthquake that accom-
panied the rending of the veil of the Temple.
On Wednesday evening, the Miserero is
rendered. Imagine an audience of 1900 or
10000 souls packed into the limits of this
vast cathedral wrapped in the densest gloom
save for few Pickering candles about the
altar, no one able to move step in any direc-
ton, yet standing with sublime patience from
shutdown to1o O'Clock. Before the Miserere.
the Lamentations sof jeremiah are chanted
Tor an hour, while the candles of the Tenebras.
representing the hours that Christ was on the
cross, are slowly extinguished one by one.
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