The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-17
Breaking Down the Door
How the Pope Will Begin the Year of Jublee-A Solemn
and Picturesque Ceremony INDUCED In by Jesuits
Throughout the WOrld-Introduced
by B0niface VIII.

The ushering in of the twentieth CEN
tury is of more Importance to the Catno-
lie world from its sacred aspect than any
political or diplomatic crisis which might
occur in the secular world. One of the
most solemn ceremonies in the history of
the church will be celebrated in all OF the
great Catholic divisions of the world. Pc
ginning at noon on the 24th day of De-
cember, which is the beginning of the
New Year of apostolic history.
Pope Boniface VIII instituted the Gus
tom of breaking down the door of the
Basilica of St. Peter 5 in Rome and AFTER
ward directed that the custom should be
observed at the beginning Of each CEN
been observed only by the Jesuit fathers;
but the Jesuit church of which the holy
father is the head, has preserved this
ceremony and II is now carried out to the
utmost detail in all of the Jesuit churches
of the world.
The holy year begins with the first
vespers of the feast of Christmas. which
is fixed at the meridian of the day pre-
ceding Christmas, or what We commonly
call christmas eve,' and every Jesuit
church in the world at that hour has its
holy door sealed. The workmen are pres
ent and are prepared to receive the card
inals, prelates and priests who approach,
awaiting the three strokes of the silver
mace, in order that the procession may
the door, seizes a silver mace. raises II
over his head. strikes the door three times
and Immediately from the other side it is
demolished.
1t is not taken from its hinges: the
lock is not broken: the door is broken
down: there is an aperture made and If
this aperture is large enough to permit
his holiness to pass through he turns
and salutes his conSortS, who fall upon
their knees; then he leads the way
through the embrasure into the cathed-
rails interior.
Immediately after the procession has
gone beyond the door, or rather passed
through the aperture which has been
made "by violence" the pope returns and
with a silver trowel casts some lime upon
the floor and then selecting three stones
which have been placed ready at his hand.
puts them in position. bleSses the door.
assumes the head of the procession and
passes on Immediately the door is re-
sealed to await the coming of another
occur each twenty-five years only.
The pope now proceeds to the altar.
where, as the most deVout peniten-, he
gets upon his knees. In the meantime the
dean of the college of cardinals. fol-
lowed by retinue of prelates. passes on
through st. Peters and approaches the
holy door of the Basil.ca of St Pauvs. and
there representing the pope, performs the
same ceremony. After these two cere-
monies are performed the cardinals and
priests retire to their respective basilicas
and there perform the same ceremony In
private: that is. they demolish and pass
through holy door of their own. to their
particular apartments. Afterward for a
whole year, these doors are sealed and
impossible TO all pilgrims and all peni-
tents. 1t is only at the feast of the
nativity" when a penitent may pass
through. and then only with the blessing
and upon their knees.
Accompanying the holy father and i'm
mediately behind him is the high peniten-
tiary, who directs whatever shall be done.
who stands between the pope and the
throng of people who are present to wit
ness the ceremony.
1t is particularly interesting to know
that the churches of the Jesuit fathers
throughout the United States have pre-
served this custom with rigid direcIness,
but also that it has been made an an
nual observance. THE year of the jubi-
lee" which occurs every twenty-five
years at. the meridian of the 9th day of
December. is with them an epoch On
such occasions a programme is prepared
arrangements are made and the penIt elts
of the church are hidden to be present at
the ceremony; and it is a, most solemn
occasion. A procession is formed which