The Opelousas courier., 1899-06-10
C~ONSECRATING A O p
4 o!cN'FIED CEREMONY, OCCUPYING
PARTS OF THREE DAYS.

n Laylnan May Be Elected to tl,e uo,d
ship Of the Most Numerous Body of
christians on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
an Occasion Of Great Pomu.
The votes of t%wo-thirds of tbe
Cardinals of the Roman Catholic
Church assembled in conclave are all
that is necessary to change any Roman
Acknowledgment, cleric, Bishop.
archbishop or Cardinal-into the
Pope, the head Of the most numerous
body OF Christians on earth. The
moment that the person who receives
such proportion Of the votes Of the
Csrdinals has said that he will accept
the election he becomes without anv
further ceremony the Vicar of Christ
on earth, head of the Bishops, Bishop
OF Rome. Supreme Governor of the
Catholic Church, Patriarch of the
West and Prince Of the Pont;ical
States. 1t is not necessary hat he
should hold even minor orders. Lay
men might have been chosen POPE.
subdeacons have been, and one of the
greatest of all the Popes, Hildebrand.
after his election called Gregory VII,
was not ordained priest until after be
had been chosen Pope.
But il,spite of this the e~nthropiza-
ton OF the new Pope is an occasion of
great ceremony and pomp, inasmuch
as 1t is the visible setting apart OF the
chosen person as the head of the
Roman Catholic Church. The cere-
monies are many and complicated.
carried out with all the wealth of de-
tail that the long succession of ponti-
teal masters of ceremony have been
able to devise.
The proceedings begin early on the
appointed day in the Sistine Chapel,
where, for the second time, the Car
dinals adore the new Pope. The first
alteration was Immediately after the
election, while the Cardinals were
still ID conclave. After this alteration,
the procession is formed to conduct
his Holiness to St. Peters Church.
First march the choir, then the lower
clergy, then the Bishops, Archbishops,
Cardinals, all in order of rank, the
juniors first, and, finally, carried in
his chair by twelve servants, comes
the e Pope. All around the clergy
march members Of the Papal Guard
and of the Noble Guard.
In the great Church of st. Peter
the procession moves up the central
aisle and halts at the chapel of the
Most Holy Trinity, where the Pope
adores the Hosi. Then it passes by
the high altar on the north side, and
on the east side stops, when the Pope
alights and with the Cardinals enters
a place rallied off from the rest of the
sanctuary. After a moment the new
Pope advances toward the altar and
prays at the lowest step. The he as
ceuds the steps and seats himself on
the. altar, in the centre, where the CT
borium holding the Host usually is
placed. The Cardinals then advance
to adore him q third time. They pros
trate themselves before him and kiss
his slipper; then rising they kiss his
hand, which is covered by the edge Of
his cope, and then receive from the
Pope two embraces. The Pope then
hlasses the people and leaves the
altar. Mounting his chair again he is
conducted out of the church in the
same style as he entered.
On the Sunday following this part
Of lie conservation occurs the corona
ton, which takes place in St. Peters
also. The Pope says mass, during
which the senior Cardinal Deacon
places on him the pontiical mantle,
uttering this prayer: Receive the
holymantle, the plentitude of the pom
tifcal Offices, to the honor ofAlmighty
God and OF the most glorious Virgin
Mary, His mother, and of the blessed
apostles, Peter and Paul, and of the
Holy Roman Church"
Then, the choir singing 'Ecce
Sacerdos Magnus," the Pope in pro-
cession leaves the high altar and goes
to the balcony over the great doors Of
The church. The Cardinal Deacon
then:removes the poutifcial mantle,
and the Cardinal Dean places the
tiara as monarch on. the head of the
new Pope, saying this prayer; "Ret
ceiye the tiara adorned with three
crowns, and know that thou art the
father Of princes and king, the
governor. OF, the world, on earth vicar
Of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom
is honor and glory for ever and ever.
Amen"
Then the Pope, wearing the tiara,
makes two prayers over the people in
the great piazza, who represent the
people of Rome and of the former
Papa1 States: "May the holy Apostles
Peter and Paul, in whose power and
authority we confde, intercede for us
with the Lord. By the prayers and
merits of the Blessed Mary, always q
virgin, of the blessed Michael, the
archangel, of the blessed John the
Baptist, and the holy apostles Peter
md Paul, and all the saints, may
Almighty God have mercy upon you.
md may Jesus Christ, having RENTED
al your sins, lead you to the life ever
Amen" "May the almighty
Ind merciful Lord grant you in
diligence and absolution andremission
bf all your sins, space for. true and
repentance, a heart always
penitent and amendment of life, the
grace and consolation of the Holy
Spirit and final perseverance in good
works. Amen" These prayers end
the ceremony of the coronation and
the Pope. retires in state xSs9
On daysappointed the Pope goes
10 his cathedral church, which, con-
trary to popular belief, is not that of
Peter, utthat of st, John L~ateran.
There he is, enthroned as Bishop of