The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-01-18
Holy Door At Rome.
INTERESTING RELIGIOUS
CEREMONIES AT THE
ETERNAL CITY.
How the Portal is Closed
A Papal Rite That Comes
But Once in a Lifetime
Bricks Covered With Layers
of Gold.

OOEO1Ou w I'LL hdy 6rS
Of Gold.
Says the Philadelphia Record:
AS all Catholics and many
ProteStantS are aware, the clos
ing year of the century is a in.
bllee year i'll the Roman Catholic
Church, says Public Opinion.
Many ceremonies have taken
place to mark the period, but of
these none have been or are more
imposing than the opening and
closing of the Holy Door at st.
Peters Cathedral. The opening
ceremony was witnessed wear
ago, and the closing took place
on Christmas Eve. Owing TO
the delicate state Of the present
Pope's health the building in
which the opening and closing
ceremonies took place had been
heated to the temperature of Leo
AllPs private apartments to
avoid any possibility of His Ho-
illness taking a chill.
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE CERE.
MONY.
The ceremony of opening the
Holy Door is declared to be SYM
bollcal of the fact that the church
Is open to all men so long as they
go there after thorough and sin
cere conversion. When the Pope
opens the door the three knocks
which he gives to it represent the
three contiuents-Europe, Africa
and Asia-to which the Pope Of
ters the treasures which he is the
medium for dispensing. The
three strokes also are looked upon
as Symbolizing the JOY that the
Jubilee causes to the faithful of
Heaven, Earth and PurgatOry.
The Pope, who is seated on a
raised throne in front of the
large door in the middle of the
grand portico, remains stationary
for a brief while, until the Prince
OF the Throne Rpresents a golden
hammer to His Holiness, which
the latter takes in his right hand,
and, rising from his throne, goes
and knocks at the Holy Door.
His clergy follow him, each with
a candle i'll his hand. His Holi-
ness, after knocking three times
at the door says i'll Latin: "Open
to me these doors Of justicew
Then the choir adds: This is
the door of the Eternal One and
the just will enter in,n etc. AT
ter this the master maSons knock
! down the wall which incloses the
Holy Door, the wall being so
lightly put together, however,
that its four sides are held to-
sether but slightly, the stones of
which it is composed not being
cemented. Thus, no sooner has
the Pope knocked at the Holy
Door than it fails without any re
SiStance. The debris of the wall
is distributed among the wor-
shippers who hasten to gather it
in order to put it among their
precious relics.
THE SERVICE AT THE DOOR.
While this is taking place the
Pope reSeats himself on the
throne, but after the demolition
is completed the penitentiaries
of st. Peter take their brooms.
clean the floor, remove the pieces
of brick and mortar from the
paSSage-which are not looked
upon as material to be held in
light esteem, since relics are
made out of them-and wash the
mOuldingS and all around the
door with holy water. This
work being finished, His Holiness
once more deScends from the
throne, singing the anthem which
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/. guam fecit dominuS," etc, which
the choir continues to sing after
him. Arriving at the Holy Door,
the Pope recites some prayers,
takes the cross, kneels before
the door, intones the re Deum,
and, rising again while singing,
passes through the Holy Door,
his clergy following him. Every.
body who can goes into st. Peters
to witness this superb ceremony
or to take part in the vespers at
the Papal Chapel. After the
vespers the Cardinals take off
their robes and put on their red
capes, accompany the Pope to the
door of his private apartments,
and then retire.
TIE CLOSING.
After the morning mass on
Christmas Day His Holiness goes
to the lodge of the Benediction,
where he blesSeS the faithful in
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