Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1922-04-13
81 The e
Holy Week
in the
Eternal City


There is always a large crowd at
Gt. Peters on Palm Sunday and as
early as eight o'clock the people begin
to assemble. The ceremonial itself
lasts about three hours and in order
to see It many visitors stand for five
or SIX hours. Ladies' alone are IA
vored with seats, and only then II they
are In dark dresses and with black
wells over their heads, instead o. hats
and bonnets. One Of the papal regi-
ments Is always on duty within the
sacred precincts to be replaced by the
noble guard" Of the pope when the
latter enters the church. During the
service the chief sacristan brings forth
an armful Of so-called palms and
places them on the high altar. These
are stalks about three feet long re-
sembling a walking cane dressed up
with wisps of yellow straw. In reality
they are sticks to which artificial palm
leaves had been glued.
His holiness the pope, who dresses
plainly for the occasion on account
of the fact that the church Is still in
mourning during the Lenten season,
enters the church in his chair Of state.
He advances up the nave; he gives
his blessing to the assembled multi
tudes until he finally reaches the
throne at the further end Of the
church.
Blessing the Palms.
After some music the pope proceeds
A. xxyhlO hrnI
to him from the altar. The blessing
IL effected by reading certain prayers
ana the incensing of the palms three
timeA An embroidered apron is now
placed upon the pope's knee and the
cardinals advance to his holiness, re-
ceive q palm from him, kissing his
right hand, his knee and the palm.
The mitred abbots, who are next to
receive the palms, kiss the pope's foot
instead Of his knee. There .s some
more music and then low mass Is said.
after which the pope In carried back
with the same gravity to the small
chapel whence he came, which con-
meets by a passage with the vatlcon.
3 The great event in Rome on We'd
nesday in holy week Is the singing Of
the Miserere In the Sistine chapel.
The service which is also called Tene-
brne from the darkness in which it
In held begins at half-past four. The
whole Office Is a finely finished musical
composition which Is performed by the
organ and sung by voices Of what
is probably the finest choir In the
world. During the singing Of the serv-
ice all the candles on the altar are ex-
tineuished one by one, with the excep-
ton Of the topmost candle which is
concealed behind the high altar, q
symbol Of deaths Of all the prophets
before the coming Of the Savior and
ef the resurrection Of the Christ.
The Sacred Oils.
, On Thursday, the ceremony Of bless
ing the oils takes place In St: Peters
during mass. There are three varieties
.cf oils to be blessed and the ritual
surrounding beatifcation Is some
what complex. The first is the
Oh Of the catechumens used In
blessings, baptism, In consecrating
churches OF ordaining priests and
b blessing and crowning SOW
~eignA. The second 10 the oil used
b extreme JUNCTION administered to
those who are dying, while the third
ieR sacred chrism composed Of oil Of
the balm Of Gilead is used In confrma-
ton, IN the conservation Of bishops
and In the blessing Of bells. The bish-
ops are attended by at least twelve
priests with seven deacons and seven
subdeacons all robed In white, and
'<ha ceremony Is most impressive to
Itha members Of the Catholic church.
All the bells in Rome are mute from
Ihalf past eleven on Thursday morning
until Saturday evening and such Is the
force Of custom that In many Of the
hotels handbells are employed to an
lnsunce the hour for dinner and even
school bells are mute. On Thursday
also ths pope attends at st. Peters
Tor the ceremonial washing Of Is
bishops. The pope 10 dressed very
pdainly In white with o small white
birstta and a red cape. He divests
0imseh Of his cape before the cere7
monial and at the close presents each
0f the bishops with a towel and a
few flowers, a gold medal being after
wards sent to them BY an official of
The Vatican.
Ceremonial Of the Supper.
After This there Is the ceremonial
Ieslebration of the Supper, In which
the 1S bishops hand plates to the
pope. who pours out wine and water
for them to drink. On this day the
affairs are all stripped and there is
set mp In the nave Of st. Peters the
grand penitentiary where a cardinal
tsfts to give absolution for mortal sins,
which are beyond the sphere of or
Idinary confession.
In the streets on the evening Of
Thursday the shops Of sausage-mak-
lers, candlemakers, and pork dealers
lmro dAcoratad and Illuminated in o.