The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-08
PILGRIMS FLOCK TO ROME.
All Nations Represented There
During Holy Week.
Scene Both impressive and Lively az ST.
Peter's--Touristss and Penttents side
nv s,de--vastnes. of the Edifice--
Visits of the. Pilgrims 60 Churches
Holy Week Services.

Rome, Arfii a. There 10 always .
food Of visitors In Rome during Holy
Week, but this year there Is q regular
hia tide. Every nation on the face OF the
alobs seems to have sent q delegation, the
Americans ocospying, ~ usual, large
share OF space and attention. Our old
familiar twAng. has stirred the echoes
here az u never did until this jubilee
year. when somebody said the other day
that there were 5000 Americans In
Rome, the figures were accepted without
q question, through . little calculating
would show theis absurdity. There are
probably 5000 visitors In Rome. but
most of them have never seen America.
Probably some Of them have never
even heard OF America, fer Jubilee year
has brousht some queer tourists this way.
Ever since Holy year began, ON Christ
mas Day, 1899, pilgrims have bssn com
ing to Rome from different parts OF
Europe. Not In the oid-fashioned way,
on foot, staff IN hand and more or less
restricted In wardrobe, but By the rail
ways. which advertise special rates to
pilgrims and expect to transport % least
q quartsr Of . million In Wholesale In
stallments, NOT counting the steady
stream Of those who come Independently.
The consequence 10 that when st. Peters
has crowd, a. hes 90 often happened
during the past week. 1t has bean Ike the
confusion Of tongues At Babel. As Tor
the confusion OF coatumea, an immense
fancy dress bali couidnt snow o greatsr
variety.
Every hundrsdth year Is Jubilee year
In Rome. Sins are weighed there ana
are ,mittsd 20 whomsoevsr rspenteth.
fhis II what 1t says In Latin, on the
front OF the Sisna Cathedral. 10 was
first one Of which there 10 any definite
record. There were more than zoo. COO
pilgrims that year ana the record says
that ell were lodged and cortsns with
their food" Maybe future narratives
will say the same OF tho 1900, but ct
present one hears people exchanging
sympathetic oomm ents ON the short oom.
ings OF the respective tables.
Finally 1t became the custom to nave
Jubilee every twenty 1--we years. and this
plan was carried QUE pretty regularly
until the beginning OF this century.
Owing 70 circumstances there has not
been, until this year, . real jubilee since
coincidence that Leo ILL.,, then youth
With long name ending In Pecci. was
resent at the opening of the sacred door
at st. Peters Ia 1926 The next time
that door was opened, which was lass
Chii stmas eve, 1t was be who oftiated as
Pope. Perhaps he will live to seal 1t
again next Chistmas evs. when 1t VIII be
Gle sed uith double wallis OF brick and
stonework. The other churches In Rome
have these saored doors:-St j ohm Later
an, st. Paul's and Santa Mari Maggiore.
All the pilgrims must visit each OF these
churches at least tive times. Of .oourse
O good many OF them. like the Ron e1s,
them selves, go oftener. so that there Is
always O picturesque group knsellng ON
the steps Just outside the door, saying .
prayer or two before retiiiog.
Anybody can 60 In BY this sacred door,
but no one can go out though 1t until the
last day OF Holy year, Dec. "a next. To
Keep people from infringing on this rul,
there IL always an attendant asst iuside
the entrance. The one at st. Peters has
already shown several interesting changes
Of costume and one never knows what to
expect next. Before Holy Week he wore
q long tunio OF black cambria. with
staff In his hand. This was his morning
rostume. In the afternoon he appeared
In evening clothes, with kneebfeeohes and
buckled slippers; he also wore O great
silver chain around his neck. But during
Holy week he was literally stunning. He
wore a long white cotton gown reaching
to the floor, q light blue cape with she
Fa' al arms embroidered on one side,
aud on his hi al white hood trat scov-
cred his facs too, and had just two round
holes for his eyes to look through. Or
course the sacred doorway 10 solemn
spot. bat even the most devout pilgrims
had their seriousp ess bowlsd over by this
trresistiple appaii ion.
Holyweek 10 queer mixture, any
way, chat il, at Rome. The noble army
of tourists is oftsn too funny for words.
The Italians themselves seem to make
gala events out of the lead ag days OF the
week. Ii the English take the pleasures
sadly, the Italians take the reli ion gay.