THE POPE--IN LIFE AND DEATH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 261, 31 December 1914, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE POPE--IN LIFE AND DEATH.

AN INTERESTING AND TOPICAL PEN PICTURE OF THE MYSTIC CEREMONIALS SURROUNDING % THE PONTIFF AND HIS COURT. The Pope is the most magnificent prisoner in the world. Housed in a palace of peerless elegance and interest, surrounded by gardens of exquisite charni and fragrance, attended by a retinuo of regal- proportions, yet each Pontiff chooses to call himseli a prisoner, as, indeed, technically he is; for though his Papal Dominion extends throughout the world, he must never go beyond the confines of his Papal domain—the Vatican. It is a splendid prison nevertheless, and majesty and pomp, reverence and veneration attend the Pope at almost every step. It is given to few to enter the sacred area of the Vatican and those who have give testimony to the personal simplicity of life and sweetness of disposition of Pope Pius X., of whom, death has so recently robbed the Roman Catholic Church. But simple as by nature and desire a Pontiff may be, yet he must live out his destiny in all the pomp and circumstance'of a ceremonial full of mystic significance—a ceremoriial which attends his every public act and follows him even beyond death itself.

THE COMING OF THE POPE. On the rare occasions of high festival, when tne Pope himself takes part, the scene is impressive beyond belief. Not only By reason of the magnificence of h:s Pontificial Court and the mystic won- , ders of the Cathedral of St. Peter, but also the picturesque medley of the congregation—soldiers in brilliant uniforms, aristocracy in the exquisite la«e veilings prescribed by custom, peasants in quaint national costumes, tourists, pilgrims, women and children. The coming of the Ponttiff is heralded by jubilant shouts of thecrowd outside, "Eviva il Papa Re!" which become deafening as the procession draws near, the sound invading the cathedral and ringing in echoes from arch to arch, until the procession itself enters. In the words of Princess Catherine Radzi"First walk bishops, monks, cardinals in their red robes, nuns in black and white choristers in tneir white surplices, all carrying lighted tapers in their hands. Immediately after them comes a detachment of Swiss Guards in their quaint uniforms. Seen in the dusk ot a spring evening, by the flickering light of a thousand candles, it all had a weird, almost uncanny appearance. "At last, borne nigh on the shoulders of his guards, the Pope himself appears behind the two large white ostrichfeather fans that wave before him. He sits rigid and impassive in the iwxlin. Gestatoria.' with his two fingers lifted up stiff and straight in a sign of bened'etion. j LIKE A BEAUTIFUL DREAM. j "There is a moment of silence, and then the choristers, who had been "ute until then, intoned the 'Tu es Petrus of tho celebrated anthem. Suddenly the white figure upon which all eyes are riveted disappears from ones eight, and one discerns only a mass ot red and violet robes prostrated before something that cannot be seen, go hidden it remains behind the genuflecting prelates, whilst the glimmer of the innumerable tapers burning before the grave ot the Apostles lights up the gold and silver of hundreds of mitres lowered to the ground. In this confusion the brain reels and the eyes seem suddenly to grow dim. Then gradually, very gradually, one can' just guess rither than see a white shadow kneeling before the tomb of St. Peter. "A moments' breathless pause, and then the sublime voice of the choir rises up once more, and yet another voice is heard singing softly 'Bened'cat vos Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus,' and one realises that it is the Pope invoking a blessing upon the crowd. "It all seemed a dream, and before one had awakened from it the scene had vanished, together with the white-robed i Pontiff, the clergy in its splendid vest- ; ments. and the Swiss Guard with their drawn swords. Nothing remained t 0 remind one of it all except a struggling, panting crowd rying to get out of tho churah." There is s splendour of death no less contain than the splendour of life, and from tho moment a Pontiff ceases t« draw breath elaborate formularies attend his remains. At all times are the ceremonies ' which surround the dead Pope and the election of his successor ot intense almost dramatic interest, but especially as it that of the new occupant of the chair of St. Peter, because for the first time in t>oo years has the procedure of election changed; indeed the very rule under which Pius X. became Pope, tho "exclusiva", has been abol.shed, an no Government can now \eto an election- and further new rules v\er<> m.med for the conduct of the conclave ot cardinals by whom the Pope is clod.id. Notwithstanding, the proceedings am characterised by much that fs euamt and more that appeals to the urn-gin- : ation. - : A SOLEMN LYING-IN-STATE. The approach to the chamber where tho Pope'lies "in extremis'' is thro"?" tho magnificent hall of (Jemuit Mil., its size overwhelming in contrast to Lie little room into which w c will accompany Cardinal dilla Volpe. the (ImmWlnin. ,„■ Camerlengo, of the Holy Koman Church who bav c been summoned. I'.ve-i as he is on the way Pius .\. has ,li-:iy.ji hU las f bnalh. The room :; o ; v.s wi:li the rnlnv of c«rd'in. bj. C-.vd'iui! .deny del Val the Potic's Secri inrv " : . Mate, is knoel'i.-g bv the lwdsbie. ns ar- othev Papal dignitaries, where lies- the c<>:itiai f'.:'.i ! '«'- -crcne and peaceful in embrai-e ■■}' deii'h. .. It i.s the Camerlengos duty to vero> tho pn. sing of the Pone. En- he ent >s tho room ho tans with a golden niv el , n the door and calls "Giuseppe .V'-e li - or Sarto." Heceivine no he enters and, substituting a silver t,,r a golden (•ne.i!eapnr.;aebestliee,i--{MI. -nd. niter a spi-nklmg of 1-y w;i ter, em'h- tap* tho fomhead of Mw-ilc-nl P'" f if meantime cnl'mg b.i un'mf.. Tins is repeated |W time-*, onrl receivn." no answer the f r-merlen.'in turns U> tl- eoUMcnv and announces "Tl.oP.w is r«aUv From that moment Cardinal della \ ope

becomes invested with supreme authority, th© most- powerful among 278,000, 000 Roman Cathoiica until a new Tope is elected. . , , , With majestic ceremonial the subsequent public lying-in-state is accompanied by music of heart-tearing solemnity. Amid a darkness broken only by the litful illumination of candles borne by slow-stepping novices, the coffin is carried to the Chapel of Canons. The body i s contained in a cypress-wood coffin, encased in lead which again has an outer shell of polished oak. Amid a breathless intensity the procession advances. Gorgeously attired prelates maroh with stately tread, following a crucifix .carried aloft; after them come eurpliced acolytes with candles, the Swiss Guard with ferociouslooking halberds, plumed helmets and gay uniforms, showing out in vivid contrast to the sombre purple of the chamberlains. Slowly and sadly they group around the left door of the Chapel of Canons in St. Peter's, the only jarring element being a newly erected scai'foldhke platform rising to a height nearly level with a yawning gap above the door, which breaks into the historic stonework of the wonderful cathedral. As we watch, a weird blackness swings out from the platform. It is the coffin in which lies Pius X.; with reverent care it is gently guided in its slow ascent and progress towards the niche above the door, into the silent shadow wherein Pius X. is left at rest. Unless the "Vacante sede apostolica —which Pius X. pronounced on Christmas Day of 1904, ihe- exact contents of which are only now known by th e conclave—d'rects otherwise, the body will lie in its lofty nest for ayear. ELECTING THE POPE.

The proceedings in the conclave are followed eagerly by all true Catholics, even though everything is invested with stringent secrecy until the final ballot is taken. . , After the cardinals and the conclavists enter from St. Peter's the masons lit-er- ' ally and truly wall them in by I.ricking up 'the doors and apertures, in addition to quadrnple-locking the main door. The election may take days. Voting takes place twice daily by ballot. Each cardinal writes his nominee's name on tho ballot paper, signs it. folds it, Beals it, and then, after kneeling at the altar, drops his ballot into the chalice, meantime uttering the oath of secrecy. If the morning vote does not produce the two thirds majority requisite for election, an evening ballot is taken, and so on twice daily until the necessary nfty votes are secured. In other elections the aceessit has been used ultimately to bring about a result, and by it Pius A. was raised to the Papal throne. One ot the amending clauses, however, orders taht tliere must be "no accessory meeting, but a second balloting." whieii may mean the abolition of this process. aceessit means a certain number of extra votes are acquired for the cardinal who heads the list in the ordinary ballot, and if they together total more than fifty the fortunate cardinal is declared Pope Then ensues a magnificent installation service. Each cardinal kisses the. new Pope on finger and to e as a sign or j loyalty, and he kisses each cardinal on j the cheek as a sign of peace. AN EXPECTANT THRONG AWAITS.

Outside an anxious, curiosity-filled throng has long been waiting to hear. The people have, perhaps, thrice seen the significant smoke arise which tells of the burning of fruitless voting papers, and as each ballot time arrives, expectation is on tiptoe. Will it be smoke or the sound of the masons' hammers as they hreak down the wall? For when the election is over, the masons are called in to demolish the wall they built a day or so earlier to block up the way to the stone balcony. There is no smoke. The crowd grows tensely• si*c«i i thousands of ears strain to catch the first sound. And as they listen expectation is fulfilled. There is a tearing- *iid a falling apart, and from behind a debris of tumbled Brickwork a Cardinal stands forward, with jewelled hand raised to command a silence that is already almost unbearable. He speaks: "I announce to you a great joy! We have a Pope. Cardinal -- has taken the title of "So ends the eonchuo.