The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-07-17

| Pope sits with one weary white hand
| raised in blessing.
Down the church comes the process
| sion in all its solemn splendor. First
walk the canons of st. Peters, carrying
their long rolls of parchment. TheiT
! robes are simple and of various darf
| shades of amethyst. After them, regu
larly spaced, walking two and two, ar.
the Pope's amberlains in black vel
vet with white rufus and magnificen'
gold collars and shinrapiers many o.
| them looking as if they had stepped
straight from a Van Dyke picture.
With their armed presence they pre-
pare the way for the Pope borne on the
stately throne on the shoulders of the
lackeys in ruby velvet brocade, thanked
by the files of the tall body guard with
their crested helmets.
AT st. Peters statue the Pope lifts the
little skull cap from his head. He is
not entirely robed in white, as the first
impression makes him seem. Over the
rich laces of his vestments falls the GOLD
embroidered stole of the same rich, soft
purple as the ermine-edged cape on his
shoulders.
The kind old face is very grave and
since the gentleman was called to his
high estate and the weight of response
billy that has bent forward his head
with weary little droop.
Slowly the high throne passes among
the kneeling people, who holds UP var
ious rosaries and crucifixes to be
blessed. The short, measured steps OF
the crimson-clad lackeys are so even
there is no Jar nor moving of the great
burden they bear on their shoulders
The two files of huge guards seem with
difficulty to regulate their long stride
to the slow procession What blaze
of color CLEANS out of the shadows,
The crimson of the cardinals seems to
emanate light. Nineteen of them walk
behind his holiness in their brilliant
robes.
Then comes the archbishop of Paris.
followed by a long line of bishops,
walking two and two, their purple
robes a rich background for the beau
tiful laces of their vestments. Last
came the deacons of st. Peters in anne
thyst cassocks.
So the pageant passes in solemn pro-
cession around the high altar and as
cends into the glow of light around
the distant altar and the bright picture
of the saint. The files of soldiers draw
together in the central aisle and with
rafting arms are drawn up in fours.
begins the service. High, sweet boys
voices are answered by the mems
chorus, and the dramatic tenor solo
scars up as part of the light itself. The
officiating clergy, in their rich capes,
move before the altar. At one side the
light seems concentrated on the Grim
son of the grouped cardinals, and in
the brilliant light with a background
of bright gold, the color is more re-
splendant than any other imaginable.
In itself it confers distinction on the
princes of the church.
Again the people kneel as the Pope
rises from the throne and, with the
white and gold cape laid on his Shout
table and the host. AS he turns in
benediction and again takes his place
the choirs sings joyous "In Excelsis."
Slowly the procession moves down
again, around the high altar and out
the aisle the soldiers have fallen back
to form. The lofty gold throne passes
majestically among the deepening
shadening shadows, high over the bent
heads of the throng and at last disap
pears
The cardinals and bishops pass and
are lost to sight. Still the people are
silent. Some Swiss guards fall in line
and march after their officer down tho
aisle to follow the Pope into the Va
tican. Then, with few of the attend
ant clergy, comes the mitred bearer of
the host with the little baldacchino
borne above his head.
After him the soldiers form their
ranks and march out. Quietly the vast
crowd turns to leave the church, some
pausing to pray here or there, all OBJ
serving Plus ks desire for silence in
places of worship. Jean Eudes is titled
blessed and will be sainted if he per-
form miracles. The lights go out and
evening shadows fill the great naves
and aisles.