Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-25
WITH ELABORATE CEREMONIES
BY THE POPE AT ST. PETERS,
YESTERDAY MORNING.
HOLY DOOR BROKEN DOWN
A CUSTOM INAUGURATED BY POPE
BONIFACE VIII.
A Description of the Solemn Ser
vices in Which His Holiness Took
q Leading and Active Part-What
the Ceremony Means-Is Dupii-
Gated in a New York Church.

ROME, December 24.-The Pope SOL
EMMY inaugurated the Holy year by
performing the impressive ceremony Of
opening the Holy door of Saint Peters
Cathedral at IL o'clock this morning.
The ceremony was performed in the
vestibule, which was handsomely dec
GRATED, in the presence of papal officers,
the members of the diplomatic corps,
leading representatives of the Roman
nobility and number of specially in
vited guests.
After donning the pontifcial robes,
the Pope, borne on the Sedia Costa
toria, and escorted by the Papal guards,
proceeded with the Cardinals and the
Court to the Sistino Chapel, in the
Vatican Palace. where were gathered
representatives of the Roman religious
orders and clergy. After brief prayer
before the Holy sacrament, which was
there exposed, Leo intoned the Veni
Creator, and then again assembled the
Sedia Gestatoria preceded by clergy
and friars, who bore lighted candles.
The Pope proceeded to the vestibule of
the Basilica, priests lighting the halls
and staircase en- route. In the vesti-
bule the papal throne had been erected.
The supreme pontiff assembled the
throne, which was Immediately sur
rounded by Cardinals and dignitaries.
Suddenly heavy bell doomed. The
Pope rose and walked toward the Holy
door preceded by the grand peniten-
tiary. Cardinal Monsignor Serafno
Vannutelli, perfect of the congregation
of Bishops and regulars, met him and
handed him an artistic golden mallet
given by the italian bishops. Leo,
wearing the mitre, uttered the verses
of the liturgy and struck three blows
with the hammer on the door which
had previously been cut with a saw.
A few moments of solemn silence fol-
lowed, the Pope and the papal digni-
Ccil III llCII 0IdLC 1OUCO UCIuS SIOup-
ed before the door. Then the latter
swung back, and the officials of Saint
Peters laved the threshold and door
posts with holy water, while Leo
opened the psalm "Jubilate Deo," which
was taken up by the pontifical choir.
The Pope, having again covered his
head and holding in his right hand a
crucifix and in his left a lighted candle,
knelt at the threshold amid the strains
of ''Te Deum,'' rising to his feet, he
stepped alone within the portals of the
vast and empty basilica. The car
dinals and others followed.
At this moment all the church bells
in Rome rang out. Leo stopped before
the altar of Michael Angelo, where the
janitors of the Holy Door for the COM
ing year kissed his feet. He addressed
few words to them on the importance
of the ceremony and then proceeded to
the altar, where the sacrament was Of
AOACu, 1OllOWSu Ny d SuOl I III dyCl.
Then advancing on the Sedia Costa
toria to the high altar, he pronounced
a solemn benediction according to the
plenary indulgences.
By a quarter past one he had re-
turned to his private apartments, hav-
ing performed the ceremonies with
great apparent satisfaction. He was
smiling throughout, but grew pale and
showed signs of fatigue toward the
end. Nevertheless, he gave the three
blows upon the door with considerable
force.
Profound silence was maintained
throughout the ceremony, save when
the Pope gave his blessing, which
evoked loud ''Vivas." The weather
was fine and an enormous concourse
assembled in the precincts of the ba-
silica. Order was preserved inside by
the pontifical guards and outside by the
royal Gardeners and the police