The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-11
HOLY WEEK IN ROME
SOLEMN AND IMPRESSIVE SERVICES
IN THE GREAT CHURCHES.
Night scenes In st. Peter's-The Sweet
man Angel at st. John Lateran's.
New York Tribune.


monies that attend the close of the Lenten
season and the great festival of Easter
The hotels are crowded with foreigners; the
different types of humanity are readily
recognizable they mingle with the dark
haired and dark-skinned Italians in public
places and in the Corso and other streets
one hears a confusing mixture of languages.
The English tongue strikingly predomi-
Mates and one sees interminable brigades
of American and British tourists, who have
so arranged their continental journey that
they can spend that week in Rome when
there is most to be seen, when the weather
is almost invariably the best of the whole
year, and when all Italy is putting on its
brilliant hues of spring. When the Holy
Week comes in Rome, all nature seems to
burst forth from the chains of the dull
winter; the sunshine dances merriy over
the gloomy old palaces, glistens on the
gilt crosses and the stained-glass windows
of the legons of churches. Eliminates the
remotest corners in the narrow streets OF
Trastevere, banishes the damp, musty
smell from all the galleries and cGyptS,
and smiles back at the city from the muddy
surface of the Tlper as 1t hastens toward
the sea. The Pincian and the Gianiculum
put on once more their glowing robes Of
its vaults and crumbling terraces with its
thousands of wild flowers; the Castelli
Roman, away off across the Campagna,
show themselves again through the clear
air of the springtime, and the odor of vio-
let's is everywhere in the atmosphere OF
the city, constant reminder that there
has come once more ia Settimana Santa.
The shops are comparatively deserted.
in the Street. The Villas are no longer
crowded with carriages The social gaze
ties have come to a full stop 1t is the
period when the Romans themselves set
aside the routine of their everyday exist
ence and visit the great temples and other
They DECORATE their parish churches and
chapels, inspect and aid the public institu-
lions of charity, make visitations to their
favorite shrines inside and outside the city
walls, attend the solemn ceremonies in the
huge cathedrals, and at some hour or other
of one of the three days or all climb the
Scala Santa on their knees. The great no.
bles are seen driving, in their gorgeous
Crowds of well-dressed people on foot are
making the same round, and the poorer
people and the peasants from the surround
ing country join In the procession that
moves from church to church.
The distinctly religious ceremonies begin
on Holy Thursday. Each principal street
in the Eternal City has several. sacred edi-
fees, and the round of the allotted number
Of churches-seven-is. of course, more east,
few Romans, however. who fail to include
in their list one of the three great basilicas
Giovanni Laterno, all at different ends of
town. In each of these enormous temples
Is held oY and Good FRI
day, the solemn service of the Tenebrae, or
the singing of the Lamentations of Jere-
posed entirely of male voices. are famous
throughout the world. large orchestra
accompanies the singers.
IMPRESSIVE SERVICES.
The services are precisely the same in
the three cathedrals, and there is little
if any, superiority in any of the choirs
A sort of tradition. however, exists among
the Romans that Holy Thursday is the
day to be devoted to St. Peters. Realz-
ing this, many foreigners are also attracted
thither on that day insead of to either
of the other churches. The throng is con-
sequently enormous. The huge temple,
capable of. holding nearly forty thousand
people, is crowded from vestibule to rere-
dos. The wide steps approaching the church
are damned with people; and the great
piazza in front is massed in it's nearest part
with promenaders, with thousands of wait
Inside the bascilica the strains Of the or
chestra and the deep volume of song issu-
oves the heads of the human sea- The
lighted candles on the triangle In front
OF the chapel altar are exsmgus9fed one
ticle. When throughout the enormous cath
edral surges the startling sound that SYM
bolizes the fury Of the elements and the
chaos of the world at the moment of the
crucifixion the last candle is extinguished
and the service is finished Daylight is a
choir file out of the chapel and the church.
Servants come from the sacristy on either
these down the long nave, through the
dense crowds, lighting on the way huge
the church. The torches throw their wav-
ing lights and shadows here and there. with
wsrd effect the lofty b roof S sns
faces of the waiting thousands add an in
tense solemnity to the scene. Presently
altar as under nc p the great baldaechino in the
upper center of the church. Through this
the appT psalms y the ana candles
carried by supplied acolytes. The process
sion halts under the baldacchino. and the
steps, proceed to the altar. which is
stripped of AN its cloths and ornaments.
bIematic of the setting of the table for the
Last Supper, the priests surrounding the
spot, continuing, meanwhile. their chant
ing of the proper ritual. When this service
is concluded the procession leaves the
church as it entered. The enormous con-
gregation remains, however. in the dimly-
lighted cathedral waiting for the LAST cere-
nony of the day. In a silence that thrill
ingly accentuates the gloom of the huge
temple, the thousands face toward the
space under the main dome, anxiously
watching for a signal 1t comes at last;
balcony that seems less designed for use
than as a capital to one of the corner
columns of the dome, two lgnteQ torcneS
appear carried by surpliced men. Pres
entity a priest stands between Them hold
ing aIoft in his hands and above his head
object that. seen. from below, seems
encased in II massive frame of gilt A bell
is rung. The congregation knees. While
the object is turned first to enc side of the
church and then to the other. so as to be
visible to every one among the thousands
present. another priest. standing on the
distant balcony, reads in Italian a descrip-
ton of the venerated object II is one
of the Christian relics from the treasury
of the Vatican Thus a number of them
are exhibited and described. one being an
nounced as a fragment of the True Cross.
another as one of the nails that fastened
the Savior thereto. still another a
of Christ on Crucifxion day, part of the
veil or robe of the Virgin Mother. the
handkerchief of Veronica, etc. When the
last Of the relics has been exhibited, and
the light has disappeared from the little
balcony in the distance, the great crowd
moves out of the church into the piazza
and thence scatters to all parts of Rome.
THE ROMAN ANGEL"
On Good Friday the greater throngs of
Italians and foreigners attend the Tene5rae
either in Sta. Maria Maggore or in san
Giovanni Isterano. The latter Is the larger
of the two churches and the most historic
in Rome 1t is also more convenient to the
Scala Santa. Besides this, it Is known that
the great Moreschi, 1.-THE Angel of Rome, !"
belongs TO the choir of San Giovanni :.
Hence thither go all the foreigners and
-. :.