Washington sentinel., 1901-01-19
Closing rhe HoIy Door.

AZ all Catholic and many Prot
estauts are aware. the closing year
of the century. Sc o jubilee year la
the Roman Catholic Church.
Nam ceremonies have taken place
TO mark the period, but of these
none have been or are more i'm
posing shan the opening and
closing Of the Holy Door az ST.
Peters Cathedral. The opening
ceremony was witnessed a year
ago and the closing took place on
Christmas Eve. Owing 90 the DEL
icate 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 NILS private
apartments to avoid any possibility
Of his Holiness taking a chill.
The ceremony e opening the
Holy Door is declared to be sym
bolic of the fact that the Church is
open 20 all men so long as they 90
there after a thorough and sincere
conversion. When the Pope opens
the door the three knocks which
he gives to it represent the three
Continents Europe, Africa, and
Asia-so which the Pope offers the
treasures which he is The medium
for dispensing. The three strokes
also are looked upon as symbol
izing the 10y 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 mid
die OF the grand poruco, remains
stationary Tor brief while, until
the Prince Of the Throne presents
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 In hIs hand His Holiness,
alter knocking three times at the
door, says In 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" sc. Alter this the Master
Masons knock down the wall
which encloses the Holy Door, the
wall being so lightly put together,
however, that its four sides are
held together but slightly, the
stones Of which il is composed not
being cemented. Thus, no sooner
has the Pope knocked at the Holy
Door than it falls without any re
sistance. The debris of the
wall are distributed among the
worshiPpers, who hasten 10 gather
them in order to put them among
their most precious relics.
While this is taking place, the
| Pope reseats himself on the throne
but after the demolition is com
pleted 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 ma
terial to be held in light esteem,
since relics are made of them and
wash the mou.dings and alt round
the door with holy water. This
work being finished his Holiness
once more desceads from his
throne, singing he anthem which
opens with the words: Haze dies
guam fecit DOminus," &c, which
the choir continue 20 sing after
him Arriving { the Holy Door,
the Pope recItes some prayers,
takes the cross, kneels before the
! door, intones the TIE Dcum, and,
rising again while singing, passes
through the Holy Door, his clergy
| following him. Everybody who
can goes into St. Peters TO witness
the superb ceremony or to take
| part in the Vespcrs at the PapaI
Chapel After the vespers the
Cardinals take of their robes and
! put on their red capes, accompany
the Pope to the dOoro Of his private
apartments. and then retire.
After the morning mass on
Christmas Day his Holiness goes
10 the lodge OF the Benedicsion,
where he blesses the faithful in the
form which IS only used on the oc-
caston oithe Jubilee, The closing
OF the door Is a very similar cere-
mOaY TO The opening. The great
est solemnity IS observed, and
thousands Of privileged pilgrims
flock TO the Cathedral 90 be wit
nesses of what, cxcep- in rare in
stances, occur but once in a lie
time, His Holiness lays the hrst
brick for the closing Of the door,
all the Cardinals, MCnsignors, and
other diguitarics IN Rome being
witnesses Of the operation. The
bricks used Tor this purpose are
about double the ordinary size, be
ing covered with a thin layer OF
! plate in sOUc cases of silver and
IN others ofgold. They bear in re-
lief the Papal arms and the inscrip-
ton: Leo XIII. Pont. Max. Ape
ruiz c. clausIt"
WANTED-Capable, reliable person
| IN every county TO represent large
! company of solid financial reputation
| 1886 salary per year, payable weekly, f5
| per day absolutely sure and all expense
| straight, bona hde, definite salary, no
| comm ssIoni salary paid each Saturday
! and expense money advanced each
| week STANDARD HOUSE, 553
| Dearborn street, Chicago.
| FIVE STATES IN FIVE HOURs.-The
Royal Limited, beautiful, swift and sure,
| leaving Washing ton b. a o. 4 X.
Station, New Jersey Avenue and {
Street, daily, 8 p m. arriving New York