Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-12-08
GREAT CELEBRATION IN ROME.
PROCLAMATION OF IMMAC-
ULATE CONCEPTION.
Observances In Connection With
The Jubilee Have Been In
Progress For Over
Month.
SOLEMN CROWNING OF THE
MOSAIC PICTURE.

Rome, Dec. S.--There was a mag
nificent spectacle in st. Peters today
on the occasion of the celebration Of
the jubilee of the proclamation of the
immaculate Conception. Observances
in connection with the jubilee have
been in progress for a month or more,
and the celebration reached a glorious
climax today with the celebration of
the papal mass in st. Peters, follow
ed by the solemn cTowning by Plus
X Of the mosaic picture of ''Our
Lady" in the choir chapel.
The interior of the vast basilica was
Illuminated and adorned with magnifi-
cent bangIngs, and the building was
filled win a great concourse of people,
including all the pontifical dignitar-
les, diplomats and the Roman nobil-
ity From all parts of the Catholic
world prelates and priests had jour
neyed hither TO participate in the Gel
ebration. From the United States
there was present a pilgrimage of more
tnan 200 lay members of the church,
headed by distinguished delegation
of churchmen that included Bishop
O'Donnell. of Brooklyn, Bishop Char
tard, of INDIANAPOLIS, President Nor
rissey, of Notre Dame University and
number of others. Italian troops
kept order in the square in front of
ST. Peters, while the pontifical body
guard was stationed within the cathe-
dral
Pope Plus, attired in his state
robes, was borne on the sedia gesta-
toria at the head of an imposing pro-
cession composed of the entire papal
court, 500 patriarchs, cardinals, arch
bishops aud bishops. A roar of cheer
ing rose from the multitude on the
Pope's appearance, but the applause
was quickly hushed by the guards.
When the cortege reached the choir
the Pope alighted, took his seat on the
pontifical throne, and the cardinals
and other ecclesiasticacs massed around
him. The solemn ceremony of the
napal mass was then proceeded with.
A feature of the impressive ceremo-
nies was the singing of Perosi's new
cantata "all immaculate. The
crowning of the mosaic picture OF
.'Our Lady followed the celebration
Of the papal mass, Exactly so years
ago today, Immediately after the mass
in which the dogma of the Immacu-
late Conception was defined, Plus TX.
set a rich crown on this image, but
the new crown placed there today by
Pope Plus X. is vastly more precious.
1t consists of twelve large stars, form
ed of hundreds of precious stones, and
united by an aureele of solid gold.
An interesting feature in connection
with the present jubilee celebration
has been somewhat overshadowed by
the brilliant ceremonies in st. Peter s.
This is the marian Congress" now
in progress in the vast Church of the
Twelve Apostles. and in the halls OF
the CanceIlaria and the Roman Semi
nary. All countries of the civilized
world are represented in the Congress
and also in the Marian Exposition,
which occupies the eight large halls
on the first floor of the Lateran Pal.
ace. The festival of the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin is
traceable in the Greek church from
the end of the fifth century, and in
the Latin dates from the seventh GEN.
tury. A great controversy prevailed
for a long time in the West as to
whether and in what sense the concep-
ton of the Blessed Virgin Mary was to
be held immaculate, and in what
sense the Blessed Virgin herself was
u U6 nClO COlIGANSt nAtAAO0h SIM AL
the end, at the instance of bishops in
various parts of tine church, Pope Plus
TX. addressed circular TO the bish-
ops of each nation calling for their
opinion and that of their people as to
the faith of the church on the point.
On the receipt of replies all but alb
solutely unanimous. the Pope issued a
solemn decree in Rome, in a numeT-
Gus council of bishops, on December
s, 1854, declaring the doctrine to be
an article of Catholic belief, and pro-
posing it as such to the universal
church. On the PRONUNCIATION of this
dogma. which has been accepted
throughout the Catholic world, church
es named after the immaculate Con-
ception sprang mp in the United
States first, and afterwards throughout
ChrIstendom generally. On the occa-
sion, 90 years ago, when the doctrine
was formally declared, tablets were
placed in ST. Peters recording the
names of all the cardinals and bishops
who took part in the council. OF all
these hundreds the last survivor was
the late Pope Leo XIII, whose name
occurs on the list far down among
the cardinals of the time. The late
Pope was looking forward eagerly to
the Jubilee celebration, in which.
however, he was TO be denied taking
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