The Portland daily press., 1896-04-18

they had to remain standing-there was
not room for them to kneel. He present.
ed himself at the window, the cardinals
about him, and knelt for a moment in
prayer, while the mighty multitude was
silent as the grave. Then he rose, and
with him there rose cry that made the
great dome culver with its stress, 'fViya
Papa LeonsP' Three times il rang out
with volume that should have made it
audible to the king in the Quirinal.
Then the cardinals raised their hands to
command silence, and the pope intoned,
with clear, sonorous voice, the solemn
words Of the poutifical benediction 1t is
said that the Italian gunners at the cas-
tie of ST. Angelo were standing at their
guns ready to fire the customary salute
when the pope appeared, as his predeces-
sors had done, at the outer window at the
loggia. But he did not appear at that
window, and SO the salute was never
fired. Thus was marked the estranee-
ment between pope and king which has
continued to the present day, with a re-
suit of immediate significance, as we
shall see.
Since 1866 every pope but one had been
crowned in ST. Peters. That one was
Plus VII, who was crowned in small |
church in Venice. Rome was then in
alien hands The conclave had been held |
in St. Marks Venice. But Austria for
babe the coronation there, SO it had to be |
performed in small and almost un-
known church. Leo XIII at first intend |
ed to be crowned in St. PETERS, indeed,
such was his expectation down to Friday |
March !, only two days before the cere-
mony. The throne was erected in it's
place, and all arrangements made. But
then the echo of that untired salute was
heard-if we may perpetrate such bull |
The italian government announced that |
since it had not been notified Of the cleo |
ton of a. new pope, it could not be ex-
pected to recogize his existence It there
fore would send no troops to keep order
among the great crowds which would |
attend the coronation, ana SO, if the |
church authorities persisted i'm holding |
the coronation there they must do so at |
their own risk. Leo XIII decided that
the risk WAS too great and. therefore, at |
the 18th hour, transferred the ceremony |
of coronation to the small bat secure pre-
cincts of the Sistine chapel, where not |
more than 500 persons were present.
First, "Tierce" was sung, land the |
"obedience''of the cardinals and bishops |
was rendered to the pope. Then pro- |
oession was formed, and the pope was
carried in his chair, supported on the |
chn Iv1d orc of hiS ordc tn hn Dor,1
chapel for the alteration Of the blessed |
sacrament. Midway down the splendid |
Sala Regia the brilliant procession halt |
ed. A clerk of the chapel came forward, |
bearing trident, upon the points of
which was bit of tow. Kneeling before |
the pope, he touched the tow with
lighted torch. 1t famed up brightly, |
and then in a moment died out in utter
darkness. Meantime the clerk chanted, |
in plaintive minor, "Holy Father, thus
passes away the glory of the world
Then they proceeded to the altar, where
the pope celebrated mass, During the
ceremony the first cardinal deacon invest !
ed him with the pallium. After the
benediction the mitre was removed from
his head, and the tiara put in its place,
while the words of coronation were pro-
nounced. Then came a loud "Amen'
from the whole assemblage, a cannon
was fired and every church bell in the
city proclaimed that the pope was
crowned.
1t may be taken for granted that if the
present relations between church and
king continue the elecUion and corona
ton of the next pope will be effected in
almost exactly the same way as in the
case Of Leo XIII. That will be the effect
of the directions just issued by the pope.
The Worlds Population.