Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-10-11
COUNCIL
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full procession that began the
spectacular five-hour ceremony.
1t was a rare show. Only 20
previous Ecumenical Councils
have been held in the 1000
year history of the church. The
last was in 1870.
ROme's Bells Ring
And it was a great day for
the church. Pope John and his
prelates have been preparing
for the council for more than
three years. Its deliberations
may last a year.
As the great bell OF st.
Peters doomed the glad tidings
of the council opening, the bells
of Rome's more than 400 other
churches took up the message.
Bells Of Catholic churches
throughout the world also rang
cut the news.
Pope John and his bishops
opened the council with prayers
for guidance and q mass i'm
ploring the aid Of the Holy
Ghost.
Rich red velvets hung from
the basilica walls, setting off
the white robes and mitres of
the bishops sitting In two tiers
of seats thanking the main
aisle.
The sweet smell Of incense
filled the basilica. In alcoves
choirs sang hymns to the Vir-
gin Mary.
Hundreds OF arc lights Lit
the basilica to MONDAY bright
ness. Under the heat Of the
lights, many prelates wiped
their brows.
Seated near the Pope's throne
in q place of honor were OBJ
servers from non Catholic
churches. The Pope has said
he hopes the council will bring
progress toward Christian unity.
Before going to the basilica,
the Pope and his bishops robed
themselves in embroidered
white bishops capes and mi
tres in the first act Of the i'm
pressive opening ceremony.
Like the other bishops, the
Pope as Bishop of Rome also
wore a inter instead of his
triple crown. But his mitre,
called the precious mitre," was
a special one to signify his
position. 1t was white and gold
and studded with diamonds and
other gems.
With his cardinals, the Pope
prayed in the Pauline Chapel,
intoning the hymn Ave Maris
Stella"-Hail, Star of the Sea.
The strains of the hymn
filled st. Peters Square as the
robed prelates filed out of the
Apostolic Palace, crossed the
broad crowded square between
wooded barricades and entered
the basilica.
1t was an hour-long process
sion of color and history: Swiss
guards in medieval costumes,
Roman priests in black, monas-
tic friars in brown, bishops in
white and at the end the Pope
on his portable throne. In all,
about 10000 walked in the pro-
cession. including the $500
council fathers.
Crowd Applauds Wyszinski
Generally the crowd was 81
lent on the solemn occasion,
J There was applause twice. The
first was for Stefan Cardinal
Wyszinski, primate Of Commu.
nist-dominated Poland. who
. raised a finger to his lips tc
motion for silence. The second
: applause was for Pope John
The prelates entered the ba-
silica in pairs. genuflected be-
fore the confessional altar, ano
: went to their assigned seats
3. They remained standing unit
Pope John was carried into the
basilica.
Long before the procession
started, the church's honored
guests - observers from non-
|. Catholic churches and delega-
y lions sent by more than &c
governments-took their places
INSIDE the DaSlllca.
The observers came from the
Anglican, Presbyterian, Lu-
theran and other Protestant
churches. Nine were here from
Orthodox churches.
De Valera Attends
, Among the government dele
; gates were Irish President Ea-
r mon de Valera and italian
Premier Armintore Fanfani.
|, West Germany sent Foreign
Minister Gerhard Schroeder
Belgium sent Prince Albert OF
Liege, King Baudouin's younger
; brother. Other countries sent
high ministers or ENJOYS.
AS the prelates entered the
, basilica, the council fathers
took their places in two bank
/. of seats erected along the CEN
/ trail aisle of the basilica.
!. The Eastern rite bishops
stood out in the procession
S They alone did not wear white
mitres. Instead they wore