THE NEW POPE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2247, 5 September 1914, Page 9

THE NEW POPE

BENEDICT XY

CABDINAL DELLA CHLESA",

By Teleifrauli—Press Association—OoryTiel I . London, September 3. Cardinal Delia Chiesa has been elected Pope, and has chosen the title of Benedict XV. (Rec. September 4, 10.25 p.m.) Rome, September 3. Cardinal Delia Chiesa is aged 59, and is a member of an ancient and noble family. He Was recently Archbishop of Bologna, and was formerly associated with Cardinal Rampolla's secretaryship. It is expected lio will revive Pope Leo s policy of strengthening the . political foundations of the Church. The election was a surprise, but is warmly acclaimed.

James Delia Cliiesa was torn at Pegli, in the diocese of Genoa, on November 21, 1854, and, after having completed his studies in the Capranican College and the Academy of , Noble Ecclesiastics, Home, was ordained priest in 1878. In 1183 he accompanied Jlonsignor (afterwards Cardinal)' Rampolla to ,Madrid as Auditor of the Papal Nunciature, and with him he returned to Rome, in 1887 to serve as subordinate to the great Sicilian on the nomination of the latter as Secretary of State to the Pope. Jlonsignor Delia Chiesa remained there until 1901, when Leo XIII appointed him to the post of Substitute to the Papal' Secretary of State and Secretary of the Cipher. In December, 1907, Pius X appointed Mm Archbishop of Bologna, and the Holy Father honoured him by personally consecfating him in the Sistine Chapel, less than seven years of prudent administration in the important See of Bologna won for him 'a place in the Sacred College, and he. was created Cardinal in May of the present year.' It may be, noted that one of his predecessors as Archbishop of Bologna , 1 who afterwards became Pope, was the famous Benedict XIV, one of the most erudite men of his' time, and probnbly the greatest scholar amoiigst the Popes. It is more than likely the new Pope has cliosen the name of Benedict in honour of his great predecessor, who died in 1758. The present Pope's whole cnreer until his appointment as Arcliflishon of Bolo»na was in t.he immediate of Leo XIII and Cardinal Bampolla. in the office of the Secretary of Stnte. and 'there he wnnld unde"bt<""v receive a traininsr that eminently fits Kim for the extend position to wlrich he 'has nov: been called.

THE CORONATION. ! CEREMONY DESCRIBED. • . It is from the day oil which they assume the tiara, and not from the day oil which they are ejected, that the ropes, since the eleventh century, have dated their Ponti.'icatcs. in describing the coronation of Pius X, CSwrn bchmitz, in his life of the Pope, writes: "The long ceremony began at 8.30 a.m. At that time the tope left bis private aparcments and rejoined hia Court, tile .Pontifical Household. From the Ducal Hall, where he was niet by the Sacred College and others who had a right to a place in the Papal Chapel, he descended toward the Vatican Basiljca. Jn a small/ sacristy near the statue of (Jonstantine, prepared especially for.the occasion, he assumed some of the sacred vestments—the humeral, 4lb, stole, Pontifical mantle, and the mitre—after; which he was borne on the Sedia Gostatoriia to the peristyle of tho temple. Against the Holy Door a Jthrone haa been erected, upori>'whiuh- : th'e 1 Pope, now took his-place and received- the homage- of ; the Arch-priest of St. Peter's. Cardinal iiampolla, aiid tho;olorgy of the Basilica ; after, a Latin discourse had been delivered, expressing good wishes and felicitations, while the Julian Choir chanted the hymn, 'Tu es Petrus.' When this ceremony was concluded, the procession was again formed, and the Pope entered the Basilica to the music of the triumphal march, of Longhi. Notwithstanding all tile not/ices and the efforts of the Holy Father himself, who waved his hands continually for silence, the people burst forth into a triumphant storm of greeting, accompanied by tho waving of •handkerchiefs and hats.

"After the Act of "Adoration before the Blessed, Sacrament, the Pope was borne to tile Uhapel of St. Gregory, where after another ceremony of obedience by toe Cardinals, and the chanting of the 'Tierce, 1 the Pope assumed the romainirig vestments. • Then, after assuming tne ring and mitre, he ascended the. Sedia Gestatona, and the procession proceeded toward the Papal altar. JJurmg this part of the procesbiou the bioppa was.tliree times burned, while the Master' of Ceremonies, kneeling belore tlie Pope, chanted slowly and gravely the words, 'Pater Sancte, sic, transit gloiua m until.'

"The prayers of the Coronation were intermingled with those. of the Mass. Thus, alter the absolutions following the 'Confiteor,' the i J ope being seated, the three Cardinal Bisliops, Oroglia of Ostia and'Volletri, Dean of the Sacred College, Serahno Vannutelli, of Porto' and Santa iluhna, Sub-Dean, and Agliardi, of Albano, recited in turn a special prayer for the Pope about to be crowned. While the chanters were beginning the 'lntroit,' Cardinals Macchi and Perotti, the first and second deacons, lm'pcsed upon the Pope the Pallium, the sign of the fullness of his Pontifical olhce, after which the Cardinals observed for the last time the act of homage and obedience. "The Pope then read the lntroit of the Mass, the 'Cathedra Petri.' After the Gloria and the following oration from the Ma,ss, 'In die Coronationis,' the first Cardinal Deacon, bearing the Ferula and preceded by the Mazzieri, the master of ceremonies, the auditors of the iiota and the lawyers of the Consistories, descended to the tomb of St. Peter, and standing near it, as if to invoke the special intercession. of tfie Apostle, intoned the litany of the Coronation, repeating three times: 'Exaudii, Ohristi ; .to which the assistants responded: 'Domino Nostro Pio a Deo Decreto summo Pontitice et' Universali Papa Vita. 1 The litanies wore then continued,- the choir answering: 'Lord, come Thou to Ms aid.' At'thm Mass, also, the ceremony of Holy Communion was impressive. After the recitation of the 'Agnus Dei,' the Pope moved toward the Pontifical throne .in the Apse, on which he received the Holy Communion. "The Popo then returned to the altar to finish Mass. After the last Gospel the Pontiff left the .altar and seated himself in the 'Sedia Gestatoria.' Then Cardinal llampolla, Arch-priest of the Basilica, accompanied by the two Canon Sacristans, approached the Pontiff, and according to an old custom presented him with twonty-live giuli, or five-fra/ic pieces, in a white silken and gold-ein-broidored purse, saying in the meanwhile :

. " 'Holy Father, tlie Chapter and the Canons of this Venerable Basilica offer Your Holiness the usual stipend for a Mass well sung.' "The procession was again formed and moved around to t-ho front of tho Confession for tho ceremony of tho Coronation. It was midday, and tho full glory of the itoman sun entering tlie windows .filled- tho great church, seeming to enkindle the metal and golden oriiamonts into lines of fire and casting over the wholo scene rays of various colours. Beforo the Confession tlio Podium, or Estrado, was erected, upon ivhicli the Sedia Gestatoria was placed, and around it the Cardinals, Bishops, Prelates, Ambassadors, and tho various guards formed a circlo, with the compact mass of people in the background. It was, indeed, a representation of the whole world, and of all its .different nationalities. "Tlie olioir intoned the liturgical hymn: 'Corona aurea super caput ejus

expres&a signo sanotitatis, gloriao ot honoris.' ('On his head a crown of gold is placed, a symbol of holiness, glory, and honour'). . The Cardinal Deacon continued tho prayer of the Church: 'Lot us praise the Lord, for Ho hath been gloriously exalted. Sound ye the trumpet in tho day of Noemia; 60itnd it on this memorable day of _ our solemnity, llejoico in the Lord in all the Universe.'

"This hymn, chanted in alternate verses by the Cardinal Deacon and tho choir, was concluded with tho prayor of His Eminence that tho Lord God Almighty would design to grant to His servant Pope Pius the grace to rulo His Church with fruit. As the prayer finished, the lofty vaults of tlie temple re-eohood 'Amen/ whio'h rose from tho hearts of the tens of thousands of tho children ,of the Church there present. ''After Cardinal Porotti, the second Cardinal Deacon, had removed tho mitro from tho head of the Holy Father, tho first Deacon, Cardinal ilacchi, placed the Tiara upon his head, saying: " 'Receivo the Tiara of three crowns, and know that you ar© the Father of princes and kings, the Governor of tho earth, tho Vicar of Our Saviour Jesua •Christ, to Wliom is all.honour and glory for over and ever. Amen.'

"Meanwhile, Pius X, erect upon: his throne, extended his arms and joined t'hem again, as if to embrace tlie whole world, and raising, his eyes to Heaven, be invoked tlie Blessed Trinity, tie Virgin Mother of God, the Apostles Pqtor and Paul, and recited the liturgical invocations, 'Misereatur' and 'Indulgentiam.' Then signing himself first, and tracing with a large and majestio gesture three crosses over _ the kneeling multitude, he bestowed upon" the city and the world (Urbi et Orbi) his Papal blessing: "May the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Bon, and Holy Ghost, descend. upon you and romain with 1 you for ever.' The function was ended, and while the cortege was passing through the church to regain the Vatican Palace, the applause of the multitude broke forth spontaneously, despite all prohibition. The Vatican Palace, for centuries tlie winter residence of the Popes, and for thirty-three- years their only, home, had a new Sovereign, a new Pope within its walls."