The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-22
OPENING THE PORTA SANTA
THE IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES
 WITH WHICH
Pope Leo Inaugurated the Year of
 Jubilee,

Numerous contingents of Italian
 troops were massed on the steps of St
 Peters. across the Piazza and along the
 colonnades, and the ceremony Whlcf
 has been performed for six centuries ID
 the midst of a concourse gathered from
 all Christendom was witnessed by lew
 hundred privileged spectators. The
 portico had been converted into klno
 of equivalent of St Peters. The lm-
 mense doors before the statue Of con
 stantine were first half-open, then en-
 tirely open; tribunes were ranged on
 the right side of the passages, draper
 ies hung on the left; on the right side of
 the portco as far as the central door
 were tribunes in double rows; the walls
 of the south end were filled with tri-
 bunes. and in the extremity was the
 band which was to render the process
 sional tune known as the "Pontifical
 March" Only the pilasters were dec-
 orated, their decoration consisting ot
 draperies of red; the doorways giving
 entrance to St. Peters were hung with
 severe and simple folds of silk and
 velvet.
 Between the third and fourth doors,
 counting toward the north, was the Pa-
 pal throne; a red dais decorated in gold.
 with the arms of the Pope often repeat
 ed, a hanging of white silk with the
 golden roses of Jubilee, chair of per
 feet whiteness, and, above, tapestry
 of the time of Plus VI., after Raphael,
 with the descent of the Holy Ghost in
 glowing tints. Even the Bull of Bonl- face VIII. was covered with the hang
 ings of the throne; but over the Holy
 door were visible the commemoration
 inscriptions of other openings;, then in
 the next space a tapestry, identical as
 to style and period, of the meeting of Jesus on the way to Emmaus: opposite
 to this another, Identical as to style
 and period, as was also the fourth, of the Alteration of the Kings; opposite to the throne an excellent copy Of the !Anunciation by Barocci.
 When the procession entered the hall the choir of the Sixtine began to sing; upward of an hours waiting while the procession thronged into the precincts, and then the "Pontifcal March con tinued to ring from the south. It was the first time most of those present had heard 1t without a drowning din of ac- clamation; it was wanting in martial ring-too soft at times, never bold and quick, yet always resonant and stir ring, fitted thus to be the triumphal music of the Vicar of the Prince of Peace. At last it's soft tones gave way to the buoyant music of youthful voices loud upon the cold air, and the fiabelli were seen waving under the immense canopy of silver and gold. The Pope was entering, the last of the clergy of Rome, vested in cope and pantificals, and wearing the mitre. With many and long haltings for blessings the pro- cession advanced and reached the the Pope descended and walked up to the raised place, where he was visible throughout the portico. The prayers sung were not long; he rose from his seat for the third time and descended briskly to go toward the | holy door.
 Mounting the steps leading to it le ntoned the verse "Aperite mini portas justitiae," and struck three double | blows with the mallet while the choir "Ingressus in eas conf1tebor Domino. Again, intoning the verse, 'Introibe in domum tuam Domine,' to | which the choir responded, "Adorabo ad | templum sanctum tuum in timore Tuo," he struck 1t with stronger and more re- | blows. Finally, intoning the verse, "Aperite mini portas quoniam 1obiscum Deus," to which the choir re- sponded, "Qui felt virtutem in Israel" he struck it with still stronger and more 1{y,, 1NJ .o his throne, while the blows of the resounded in the cavity | within The door creaked and cracked, resisted even after the opening of a great scissure, and finally disappeared | IS a whole on machine especially con- rived for the occasion. The Peniten- iaries of St. Peters washed every part ,f the portal with sponges soaked in loly water, the bells rang testa, first tt St. Peter's, and then at every church n Rome, and the Pope rose and in- oned the verse, "Domine, exaudi ora ionem meam," which followed the prayer "Actiones nostras, quaesumus, 0omine.''
 When his Holiness had resumed the nitre and his seat Don Lorenzo Perosi ave the signal for beautiful render ng of Palestrina's psalm tone, unheard ince 1925, "Jubilate Deo omnis terra" his sung, the Pope intoned the verses: Haec dies quam fecit Dominus exul- emus ct laetemur in ea;' ''Beatus pop Jus tuus, Domine;" "Qui seit in jubla- lonem;'' "Haec est porta Domini; jus intrabunt per eam;'' "Domine exaudi rationem meam," and sang the collect Deus, qui per Moisen famulum tuum," liter resuming his mitre he left the hrone, advanced toward the holy door -ith the patriarchal cross in his right and and lighted taper in his left, nelt on the first step and intoned the f., e Deum in a low and musical voice. ( he first verse sung by the choir the eople enthusiastically took up the sing I lg while the Pope rose and slowly loved through the holy door, followed ] Y his deacons Cardinals Macchi and teinhuber, the cardinals, in order of recedence. each one kissing the DOT l Il, as did all who followed, namely, the t lembers of the regular clergy of J ome, the members of the secular cler- V of Rome, and the members of the I apal choir. s The Pope stopped in the Chapel of the e ieta while the procession filed before 1 e i'm as he rested on the throne; then ! ? received the senior guardians of all s le confraternities of Rome and en- g l1sted to their cOrpOra tiOns the ward (