The mirror., 1922-04-13
ROME THE ETERNAL CITY
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are attended by at least twelve priests
with seven deacons and seven subdeacons
all robed in white, and the ceremony is
most impressive to the members of the
Catholic church.
All the bells in Rome are mute from
half 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 announce the
hour for dinner and even school bells are
mute. On Thursday also the pope attends
at St. Peters for the ceremonial washing
of IS bishops The pope is dressed very
plainly in white with small white biretta
and red cape. He divests himself of his
cape before the ceremonial and at the close
presents each of the bishops with towel
and few flowers, gold medal being
afterwards sent to them by an official of
the Vatican.
After this there is the ceremonial cele-
bration of the Supper, in which the IS
bishops hand plates to the pope, who pours
out wine and water for them to drink. On
this day the altars are all stripped and
there is set up in the nave of St. Peters
the grand penitentiary where a cardinal
sits to give adsolution for mortal sins,
which are beyond the sphere of ordinary
confession.
In the streets on the evening of Thurs
day the shops of sausage-makers, candle
makers, and pork dealers are decorated
and illuminated in most fantastic way.
The most prominent object in each is
statue of the Virgin and Child enshrined
amidst candles and flowers.
On Good Friday the air of gloom is
robed in red but he neither wears his ring
nor gives his blessing. The soldiers arms
are reserved and all decorations possible
are stripped from the altars. Yet not
withstanding the peculiar soemnity of the
religious services of the day the shops,
public Offices and places of business, also
the palazzos, where pictures are shown
remain open as usual-the only indication
of the religious character of the day out
side of the churches being the muteness of
the church bells. This disregard of Good
Friday in Rome particularly strikes the
Protestant visitors who come from coun
tries where the day is observed reverently
and quietly.
On Saturday evening on the reading of
a particular passage in the Sistine chapel
the bells of St. Peters are rung, the guns
of St. Angelo are fired and all the bells
of the city Immediately break forth. AT
ST. Peters there is the blessing of the
paschal fire and the paschal candle is
lighted.
AS might be expected Easter Sunday is
celebrated in Rome with elaborate cere-
monials, the pope himself officiating at
high mass at ST. Peters with the most
gorgeous ritual. The magnificent basilica
is decorated and myriads of lights blaze
from the altars and round the tomb of St.
Peter. Seated in his official chair and
robed in vestments which scintillate with
gold and precious stones and wearing on
his head magnificent tiara the pope en-
tiers the crowded church. Beside him are
borne two large fans of ostrich feathers
and over him is richly embroidered
canopy. After officiating, the pope leaves
the church to appear few moments later
surrounded by high officials of the church
in the central balcony from where he ex-
tends his blessing In the evening the
dome and the entire church are blaze OF
candles and artificial lights.