Evening star., 1949-12-24

DkQc tllC UdSulCd GU do tllC
pontif strobe alone through the
Bishop Dun soys Pope Offers No Solution
for Disvnity. Pose Al
Purtioi Text Of Pope's ch,istmos Message
Pase Al
doors into the vast church, seat
of the religion Of 100000, 900 per-
sons Of which the Pope is the
head. Outside 800, 900 more gath
cred In st. Peters Square heard
the great bronze bells Of the
Basilica ring the tidings that the
jubilee year had begun.
But the struggle in which the
church is low locked with COM
munism was symbolized at the
very hour of the holy ceremonial
by a call from the Communist
led Chamber of Labor for a gen.
eral strike in Rome. The call
was Cancelled, however.
Rites Held in 3 Basilicas.
As the Pope opened the holy
door at st. Peters. similar cere-
monies were held in Rome by car
dinals at the three other patri-
archal basilicas-St. Paul's Out
side the Walls. st. John Lateran
and st. Mary Major.
, In the }quare outside st. Mary
Major We , modified 600 Roman
police AZ caribineri. summoned
to prevel interference from the
Chamber Hof Labor headquarters
across the square.
Rome'ss Communist newspaper
Unita asked in bleak headlines:
Us Freedom of Assembly Threat
ened by the Holy Year?"
It appeared to signal a possible
open attack on the church. This
the Communists have avoided un-
til now in strongly Catholic Italy.
As the newspaper continued to
publish news of Stains birthday
celebration last Wednesday, it
charged. that the Pope's address
yesterday demonstrated his wor-
ries lover ties Of the Vatican with
the imperialists and warmongers." !"
At st. Peters the pomp and
ceremony of the Holy Year inau-
gural stirred the huge crowds to
alternating breathless quiet, cheers
and applause.
Pope Uses Portable Throne.
A great shout arose as the pom
tif. in his rich ceremonial robes
and heralded by pealing silver
trumpets. was carried on his port
able throne from the Sistine
Chapel to the Holy Door at the
portico of the Basilica.
There several hundred digni-
taries and representatives of the
world press watched with sudden
hush as the Pope took the silver
hammer presented him by italian
workmen and approached the door
through which 100000 pilgrims
are expected to pass during the
Holy Year.
In his Christmas address yester-
day Pope Plus had said that 'in
opening the Holy Door with three
strokes of the hammer we shall be
conscious of performing no mere
traditional act but symbolic rite
Of high import not only for Chris
tians but for the whole human
race"
Strikes Gilt Cross.
The pontiff raised the silver
hammer once and struck small
gilt cross at the doors center
intoning in Latin: open to me
the doors of justice"
The Sistine Choir responded 4:
Having entered them I shall con-
fess to the Lord"
The Pope struck again, and
said: II will enter into thy house,
O Lord"
At the second stroke the chant
ers said: Il will bow down towards
the holy temple In reverence be-
fore thee"
Then the Pope struck the third
time-a harder blow-and in
toned:
"Open the doors, for God is
with us"
"Who did wonders in Israel. ~
responded the chanters.
The huge. heavy doors swung
slowly open on special cart and
were wheeled away. ...-
With this the bells doomed out
the message to the tensely waiting
throng inside the church and out
side In the square.
Walks Through Doors.
The Pope relinquished the ham
u1er, said a brief prayer, kneeled
and then rose to walk alone
through the open door of the great
Basilica.
He was joined by the papal pro-
cession and was carried in the
portable throne to the confession
af altar.
There the pontif impaired his
apostolic blessing and the cere-
mony. performed for the 25th
tine In the 2,000-year history OF
the Roman Catholic Church, was
ended.
Meanwhile, the Vatican radio
stu was broadcasting Yesterdays
Christmas Day speech by the
pontin. asking for union within
the Catholic church OF all Chris
tians to meet the "Effrontery with
which the united front of militant
satAeism advances" ,