The Ceremonies of the Holy Week at Rome by Charles Michael Baggs

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[Sidenote: Sentiments of S. John Chrysostom.]

We shall conclude with the words of a holy and eloquent bishop of
Costantinople of the 4th century, "When thou seest the Lord immolated
and placed there, and the priest engaged in the sacrifice and praying,
and all present empurpled with precious blood, dost thou think that
thou art among men, and art standing on the earth? and not rather
that thou art instantaneously transferred to heaven, where casting
out of thy soul every fleshly thought thou lookest around on heavenly
things. O miracle! O the love of God for man! He, who sits above with
the Father, is at the same time held in the hands of all, and gives
himself to those who wish to receive and embrace him. Wishest thou
to see the excellence of this _holiness_ from another miracle? Depict
before thy eyes Elias and an innumerable multitude surrounding him,
and the victim placed on the stones; all the others in profound
silence, and the prophet alone praying; then suddenly fire rushing
from heaven on the sacrifice. These things are astonishing and replete
with wonder. Then transfer thyself thence to the things now effected,
and thou wilt find them not only wonderful, but surpassing all
astonishment. For here the priest bears not fire, but the holy Ghost;
he pours out long supplications, not that fire descending from above
may consume the offerings, but that grace falling on the sacrifice
may through it inflame the souls of all and render them purer than
silver purified by fire. This most dread rite then who, that is not
altogether insane and out of his mind, shall be able to contemn? Art
thou ignorant that no human soul could have sustained this fire of the
victim, but all would have totally perished, unless the assistance of
divine grace had been abundant" S. John Chrysostom, De Sacerdotio Lib.
3, c. IV.

[Footnote 1: It is situated near the road leading from Rome to
Civitavecchia at the distance of about 27 miles from the former city.
Its necropolis has lately enriched the new Gregorian museum with some
of its most precious treasures, consisting in gold ornaments of the
person, in silver and painted vases etc. of very ancient and admirable
execution. See Nibby, Analisi storico-topografica etc. as also Grifi.
The Etruscan and Egyptian museums entitle His present Holiness Gregory
XVI to be ranked with many of His predecessors among the greatest and
most munificent patrons and collectors of ancient monuments.]

[Footnote 2: If we compare with this term others of similar
termination, such as _sanctimonia_ from _sanctus_, we shall find in
them a confirmation of the etymology given above: _monia_ serves to
form the substantive, but does not otherwise alter the meaning.]

[Footnote 3: S. Greg. M. lib. VII, epist. 64.]

[Footnote 4: See Le Brun, Explic. Missae T. 2. dis. 1. Also Renaudot.
They have however been refuted by Assemani, Maratori and Zaccaria.]

[Footnote 5: The _Pater noster_ is still said in secret, except after
the canon of the Mass, because at that part of the Liturgy only the
faithful were present. See Moroni's learned work entitled, Dizionario
di erudizione ecclesiastica.]

[Footnote 6: See Schelstratius, de Disciplina Arcani, or Trevern's
answer to Faber's Difficulties of Romanism: also Bingham lib. X, c. 5.
Times are now so much altered that it is difficult to conceive how the
Reserve in communicating Religious knowledge recommended in one of
the Tracts for the Times could be practicable, even if it were judged
expedient.]

[Footnote 7: It was first published by B. Card. Tommasi from a very
ancient manuscript in the queen of Sweden's library. Cave, Mabillon,
Muratori, Assemani and other eminent critics admit its authenticity.
There is however another sacramentary _perhaps_ more ancient called
the Leonian, because it is attributed by the learned to Leo the great,
A.D. 450. It was first published by Bianchini in the 4th volume of
Anastasius the librarian from a Verona MS. written 1100 years ago.]

[Footnote 8: This new Gregorian sacramentary was carried to England
by St. Augustin and the other missionaries. Mr. Palmer and after him
Mr. Froude (Remains, vol. 2nd, p. 387) give a similar account of the
Roman liturgy. They, like archbishop Wake, attribute the origin of the
Roman, Oriental, Ethiopic and Mozarabic liturgies to St. Peter, St.
James, St. Mark and St. John, and observe that all other liturgies
are copied from one or other of these. "In each of these four original
liturgies the eucharist is regarded as a mystery and as a sacrifice"
p. 395: they all agree in the principal ceremonies of the mass, and
all contain a prayer for the rest and peace of all those who have
departed this life in God's faith and fear" p. 393. "Now it may
be reasonably presumed", says archbishop Wake "that those passages
wherein all these liturgies agree, in sense at least, if not in words,
were first prescribed in the writings of the ancient fathers". See
Tracts for the times, no. 63.]

[Footnote 9: They who wish for further details may consult Le Brun,
Card. Bona, Martene, Gavant, Rock's Hierurgia etc.]

[Footnote 10: Because anciently sung from the _steps_ of the _ambo_ or
pulpit, according to Rabanus Maurus an author of the 9th century, and
others. In the ancient churches there were generally in the _chorus_
or choir two ambones, one from which at solemn masses the lector and
at a later period the subdeacon used to sing the gospel, with his face
usually turned towards that side of the church, where the _men_ were
assembled; at Rome this was generally the south side. At low masses
the missal was removed from the epistle side of the altar at the
beginning of the offertory, in order to leave room for the offerings,
according to an Ordinarium of Monte Casino of the year 1100. It has
for a long time been customary to remove it before the gospel, which
the priest recites turned towards the same direction as the deacon at
high mass. Mystical meanings were afterwards assigned for this removal
of the book.]

[Footnote 11: It is astonishing how Mr. Palmer could assert that "Leo
bishop of Rome in the fifth century appears to have been the only
bishop who preached in the Roman church for many Footnote: and it is
said that none of his successors until the time of Pius the fifth,
five hundred years afterwards, imitated his example". Orig. Liturg.
vol. II, p. 59. Bingham I. IV, c. Sec..3. Mr. Palmer forgot all the
homilies of Gregory the great, as well as the chronology of the Popes.
The latter might find in the multiplicity and importance of their
other occupations abundant motives for abstaining from preaching, a
duty to which so many of their clergy dedicate themselves. That the
early Popes however preached there can be no doubt, although most
of their homilies, if ever written, have not reached our time. Not
only the example of S. Peter who (whatever we may think of the local
tradition of Rocca S. Pietro above Palestrina) used certainly to
preach, as the Acts of the Apostles prove; but the general custom of
other cities would induce the zealous Bishops of Rome to exhort and
encourage their flock, particularly in time of persecution; and that
at a later period they were not unaccustomed to preach is evident
from the Ordo Romanus of Card. Gaetano published by Mabillon and from
a Vatican MS. no. 4231, p. 197; both these documents are quoted by
Cancellieri, _Descriz. delle Cappelle etc. p. 328_. See proofs that
the Popes preached drawn up in chronological order in Sala's notes to
Card. Bona, lib. 2. c. 7-]

[Footnote 12: S. Ambros. Ep. 13, serm. 34.]

[Footnote 13: Of the ancient offerings the following vestiges remain:
candles are offered by the clergy at their ordination, bread and wine
by bishops at their consecration, chalices and torches by the Roman
senate on particular festivals, and in fine bread, wine, water, and,
till lately, doves and other birds at the canonisation of the Saints.
On the ancient offerings see Cancellieri, de Secretaries, t. I, p.
181.]

[Footnote 14: "This custom prevailed universally in the Christian
church from the earliest period" Palmer Orig. Liturg. vol. 2, p. 75.]

[Footnote 15: As the ancient Roman houses had an _impluvium_ in the
midst of the _atrium_, so in the _atria_ annexed to the Christian
churches was one or more fountains (Eus. Eccl. Hist. l. X, c. 4) and
sometimes a well or cistern. In these the faithful used to wash their
hands (Tertull. De orat. Sec., De lavat. man.) Thus in the atrium of
St. Paul's basilica there was a cantharus, restored by Pope Leo I, of
which the saint writes thus to Ennodius;

Quisque suis meritis veneranda sacraria Pauli
Ingrederis, supplex ablue fonte manus.

The _cantharus_ is mentioned by Virgil Eclog. VI, 21.

Et gravis adtrita pendebat cantharus ansa.

A large vessel of this description may be seen in the _cortili_ of S.
Cecilia and SS. Apostoli at Rome. It used to be blessed on the vigil
or festival of the Epiphany, as it is now in the Greek and even the
Roman church. When churches were built without _atria_, a vessel
of blessed water was placed inside the church: in some of the older
churches there is even a well. See Nibby, _Dissert. sulla forma, etc.
delle antiche chiese_.]

[Footnote 16: See Le Brun tom. IV, diss. 15. Super usu recitandi
silentio missae partem etc. This custom was connected with the
discipline of secrecy. The scripture itself does not mention what
words Christ used, when He "gave thanks", before He pronounced the
words of consecration; and the early church imitated this reserve.
Anciently curtains concealed the altar, during the most solemn part of
mass, as now in some Oriental churches. St. John Chrysostom (Hom. 3,
in Ep. ad Ephes.) mentions this custom; and traces of it still remain
at St. Clement's church in Rome.]

[Footnote 17: See ancient inscriptions from the catacombs, containing
prayers for the dead in Bock's Hierurgia (vol. 2, ch. 7), also in
Annali delle Scienze Religiose, Luglio 1839, as also in the well-known
works on the catacombs. Bingham admits that the eucharistic sacrifice
was offered for S. Augustine, S. Monica, the emperors Constantine
and Valentinian at their funerals. (S. Ambrose prayed for Valentinian
Gratian and Theodosius.) "In the communion service" says he "according
to the custom of those times, a solemn commemoration was made of the
dead in general, and prayers were offered to God for them". Bingham,
Antiq. l. 23, c. 2. "The custom of praying and offering up sacrifice
for the faithful departed most evidently appears to have prevailed in
the church even from the time of the apostles", says the Protestant
bishop Milles, Opera S. Cyrilli. p. 297. "In primitive times" says
Palmer "these commemorations (in the mass) were accompanied by
prayers for the departed". Origin. Liturg. vol. 2, p. 94. With these
Protestant admissions before us and many others collected in the
Annali delle Scienze Relig. Luglio 1839, we opine that the Rev. Mr.
Breeks ought to have been solicitous for his own soul rather than for
that of Mrs. Wolfrey, whose inscription was dictated by the spirit
of primitive Christianity. The following is the inscription on
Thorndike's tomb at Westminster "Tu lector, requiem ei et beatam in
Xto resurrectionem precare". On Bp. Barrow's tomb at S. Asaph's "O
vos transeuntes in domum Domini, domum orationis, orate pro conservo
vestro ut inveniat requiem in die Domini". Both were written by their
own direction: other Protestant testimonies may be seen ap. Srett. o.
462.]

[Footnote 18: Pope Vigilius (A.D. 538.) in his epistle to Profuturus,
bishop of Braga in Spain, says, that the canon never varied, but that
on particular festivals "we make commemoration of the holy solemnity,
or of those saints whose nativities we celebrate".]

[Footnote 19: "The bread which we break is it not the communion of the
body of Christ". 1 Cor. X, 16.]

[Footnote 20: This custom we may consider with Palmer as a memorial
of an ancient mode of communicating under both kinds united, which
is still observed in the oriental churches: Vol. 2, p. 146; or with
Le Brim as a record of the practice of sending the particle to the
priests of titular churches, T. 4. Micrologus and others consider
this mixture as a representation of Christ's resurrection. It is very
ancient, as Sala shews.]

[Footnote 21: "St. Paul calls the Eucharist 1 Cor. X, 16 the cup of
_blessing_ which _we bless_." This incidental information vouchsafed
to us in scripture, should lead us to be very cautious how we put
aside other usages of the early church concerning this sacrament,
which do not happen to be clearly mentioned in scripture". Tracts for
the Times, Vol. 1, no. 34. The "Mass" in Cranmer's Form of prayer
and administration of the Sacraments, which was declared by act of
Parliament "agreable to the word of God and the primitive church"
differs but little from the Roman mass above described. See Pugin's
Letter on the proposed Protestant Memorial. London 1839.]

[Footnote 22: Macri in his Hierolexicon says, that the Cardinal
kneels, to incense the Pope when seated, from respect to his
_cattedra_ or chair, which is the first see in the Christian church.
Others say from respect to his temporal sovereignty, the archbishops
of Milan are incensed with the same formality. This custom is
mentioned in the 13th century by Card. Giaconio Gaetano. Ordo
Romanus Sec. 112. A certain love of proportion may have had its share
in the origin of this ceremony, by which the same relative height is
preserved between the Pope and the Cardinal in all cases in which
the former is incensed. Thus also the assistant Bishop, who holds
the Missal for the Pope, kneels when He is seated, and stands when
He stands. We kneel to the Pope to receive his blessing, as we do to
bishops and even priests; we also kneel from respect to his exalted
dignity, not only as sovereign, but also as head of the Catholic
church. It is well known that the British peers kneel even to the
empty throne of their sovereign. Kneeling is a very ancient token of
profound respect; it was paid to Joseph in Egypt, Gen. XLI, 43; to
Elias, 4 Kings I, 13 etc.]

[Footnote 23: "O that an angel" says St. Ambrose, "would appear to
us also, when incensing the altar, and offering sacrifice". Expl. in.
Luc. l. 1, c. 25, n. 9.]

[Footnote 24: Incense is, as we shall see in c. 2; an emblem of
prayer, and in this sense it is offered to the B. Sacrament, to Christ
represented by the crucifix, and adored on the altar. The gospel
is incensed to signify the sweet odour which it communicates to our
souls; and the ministers of God, to signify, according to St. Thomas,
that God maketh manifest _the odour_ of his knowledge by us in every
place: "For we are unto God _the good odour_ of Christ in them who are
saved, and in them who perish". 2 Cor. II, 14, 15. In fine the bread
and wine offered to God are incensed to signify the spices with which
the body of Christ was embalmed in the tomb; such at least is the
explanation given in the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom; and it is from the
oriental churches that the Latin church has taken this last practice.
Incense is a token of respect in these and other cases.]

[Footnote 25: A taper with a stand, called a _bugia_, is held at
divine service for persons in ecclesiastical dignity, as a sign of
distinction, and to throw additional light on the book from which they
read. The taper held for the Pope at the _cappelle_ has no stand,
and is enkindled from a light concealed within the desk, on which the
assistant Bishop places the missal. This is a memorial of an ancient
monastic custom mentioned by Martene Lib. 1, De rit. Eccl. p. 277,
232.]

CHAP. II.

ON THE CEREMONIES OF PALM-SUNDAY

_CONTENTS._

Part 1. _Introductory_. Mysteries and devotion of
holy-week--Palm-Sunday, entry of Christ into Jerusalem--of
Julius II into Rome--Sixtus V and Captain Bresca--triumphant
return of Pius VII to Rome, contrasted with ancient Roman
triumphs. Part 2. _Descriptive_, Palm-sunday--lights used at
mass etc.--vestments--_ubbidienza_, blessing of the palms,
benedictions, holy water, incense--distribution of the
palms--order in which the prelates and others
receive them--solemn procession with palms, _sedia
gestatoria_--ceremonies peculiar to this procession--its
antiquity--High mass, its peculiar ceremonies on
palm-sunday--Passio--Cardinal great Penitentiary at S. John
Lateran's.

"_Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in
the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest_". Matt. XXI, 9.

[Sidenote: P. I. Holy-week]

The sufferings and death of Jesus Christ are the mysteries which the
catholic church commemorates during holy week. "On these days" says
S. John Chrysostom (in Ps. CXCIV) "was the tyranny of the devil
overthrown, sin and its curse were taken away, heaven was opened
and made accessible". It was then becoming that christians should
consecrate these days of mercy, of grace and salvation to exercises
of penance, devotion, and thanksgiving. The imposing liturgy of the
Roman church is at this season more than usually solemn; and it is our
task to describe, and endeavour to trace to their origin, its varied
ceremonies.

[Sidenote: Palm-Sunday, Christ's entry into Jerusalem.]

Palm-sunday is so called from the commemoration of our blessed
Saviour's entry into Jerusalem, when, according to St. John (XII, 13)
"a great multitude took branches of palm-trees, and went forth to meet
him, and cried: "Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the
Lord". Thus when Simon Maccabee subdued Jerusalem, he entered it "with
thanksgiving and branches of palm-trees, and harps, and cymbals, and
hymns and canticles, because the great enemy was destroyed out of
Israel". 1 Macc. XIII. The entry of our divine Redeemer therefore was
one of triumph: but it was also the entry of a king into his capital:
for "many spread their garments in the way" (Mark XI, 8), as when
Jehu was elected king, (4 Kings IX, 13), the Israelites spread their
garments under his feet. Thus also Plutarch relates of Cato of Utica,
that the soldiers regretting the expiration of his authority with many
tears and embraces spread their garments, where he passed on foot.

Pope Julius II returning to Rome after the siege of Mirandola
distributed palms to the Roman court at S. Maria del Popolo; and
then rode in triumphal procession to the Vatican passing under seven
arches adorned with representations of his extraordinary and heroic
deeds[26].

[Sidenote: Sixtus V and Captain Bresca.]

When Sixtus V. undertook to erect in the Piazza di San Pietro the
ponderous egyptian obelisk[27], which formerly adorned Nero's circus
at the Vatican, he forbade on pain of death that any one should speak
lest the attention of the workmen should be taken off from their
arduous task. A naval officer of S. Remo, who happened to be present,
foreseeing that the ropes would take fire, cried out "_acqua alle
funi_". He was immediately arrested by the Swiss guards, as we see
him represented in the small fresco in the Vatican library, and was
conducted before the Pontiff. Sixtus shewed that his severity was
based on justice; for instead of punishing the transgressor of his
orders, he offered him the choice of his own reward. They who have
observed the great abundance of palms which grow in the neighbourhood
of S. Remo, on the coast between Nice and Genoa, will not be surprised
to hear, that the first wish of the gallant captain was to enjoy the
privilege of supplying the pontifical chapel with palms. The Pope
granted him this exclusive right and it is still enjoyed by one of
his family.

[Sidenote: Return of Pius VII to Rome.]

When the meek and benevolent Pius VII was returning to Rome from
exile and captivity, Dr. Bresca, one of the captain's descendants,
contrived, though not without great risk, to convey to Rome the
choicest palms of S. Remo and Bordighera. At the house of his friend
Viale half a mile outside the Porta del Popolo, he assembled twenty
five _orfanelli_ dressed in their white cassocks, and forty-five
_verginelle_. When the carriage of the beloved Pontiff approached,
this double choir of children appeared, bearing palms in their hands
and singing joyous canticles of benediction but I must describe this
lovely scene in the melodious language of the south. "Ciascuno di
essi (says Cancellieri) recava in mano una di queste palme di color
d'oro altissime e cadenti come tante vaghissime piume. Sei zitelle
sostenevano de'galanti panieri di freschissimi fiori pendenti dal
loro collo, con nastri bianchi e gialli, relativi allo stendardo
Pontificio. Quindi tutti si schierarono in buon ordine sulle due ale
delta strada, e mentre le ragazze versavano graziosamente a mani piene
da' loro canestrelli la verzura ed i fiori, quella selva ondeggiante
di palme, tributate al trionfo del S. Padre dal candore e dall'
innocenza, sorprese con la novita di uno spettacolo, che non pote a
meno d'intenerire, e di muovere tutti gli astanti".

If we now look back for a moment to the triumphs of the pagan
emperors, well may we bless God for the change which the religion of
Christ has wrought in this city. After they had let loose war, and
famine, and pestilence, to prey upon hapless nations, they ascended
the Capitol to offer incense with polluted hands to their profane
gods; and meantime the groans of the dying and unpitied princes, whom
they had reserved to decorate their triumph, ascended from the scala
Gemonia to call down the vengeance of heaven upon their oppressors.
But while the pacific and holy vicar of Christ returns in triumph to
his capital, the lips of babes and sucklings sing his praises, as they
did those of his Divine Master, and he implores heaven to shower down
benedictions on his enemies as well as his beloved children.

[Sidenote: P. II Papal chapel on palm-sunday.]

[Sidenote: Lights used at mass, etc.]

At about 9 o'clock on palm-sunday morning the Cardinals, Prelates
and others assemble near the chapel of the Pieta at S. Peter's, as at
present the solemn service takes place in that basilica, and not as
formerly in the Sixtine chapel. The crucifix over the altar is veiled,
in token of the mourning of the church over her divine spouse's
sufferings[28]. On the altar are six lighted candles, and other
torches are brought in after the _Sanctus_ of the Mass, and held till
after the elevation, in honour of the B. Sacrament, by four _acoliti
ceroferarii_[29].

[Sidenote: sacred vestments]

As the pope is to bless and distribute the palms, and a solemn
procession is to take place, the Cardinals put on their sacred
vestments, viz. all of them the amice, the cardinal bishops the
surplice and the cope, the priests the chasuble, and the deacons a
chasuble shorter in front than that of the priests. The auditors of
the Rota, _Cherici di Camera, Votanti_, and _Abbreviatori_ put on a
_cotta_ or supplice. The bishops and mitred abbots wear the cope,
and the _Penitenzieri_ or confessors of St. Peter's, the chasuble.
The copes of the cardinal bishops are ornamented with a _formale_,
adorned with three large bosses or projections of pearls arranged in
a perpendicular line, while the Pope's are in a triangular order,
evidently alluding, to the blessed Trinity. As this is a day of
mourning, the sacred vestments are purple.

[Sidenote: _ubbidienza._]

Thus attired and holding their mitres the Cardinals remain standing
while the Pope is vested by the assistant Cardinal-deacons who put
on His Holiness the amice, alb, girdle, stole, red cope, _formale_ or
clasp, and mitre. All then move in procession towards the high-altar
in the order observed in the procession of the palms, as described
below:[30] the Pope descends from His _sedia gestatoria_ to adore the
Holy Sacrament with the Cardinals etc. The procession then goes to
the high-altar; and having prayed for a short time before it, the Pope
goes to the throne,[31] and there receives the _ubbidienza_ or homage
of all the cardinals present, who in turn kiss His right hand covered
with the cope. This ceremony which takes place at all solemn offices,
except on good friday, and at masses for the dead, bears some
resemblance to the old homage of feudal times[32].

[Sidenote: Blessing of the palms.]

Some palms are arranged on the altar. The Pope's chief Sacristan, who
is a bishop chosen from the Augustinian order bears one, and kneels
on the steps of the throne between the deacon and subdeacon, who bear
two larger palms. His Holiness reads the usual prayers over the palms,
sprinkles them with holy water, and incenses them three times.

[Sidenote: Distribution of the palms.]

When the palms have been blessed[33], the Cardinal Dean receives from
the governor of Rome and presents to the Pope those three palms, which
were borne by _M. Sagrista_, the deacon and subdeacon. One of these
is held during the service by the prince assistant at the throne,
the other two are delivered to the care of _M. Coppiere_, one of the
_Camerieri segreti partecipanti_: the shortest is carried by the Pope
in the procession. An embroidered apron is now placed over the Pope's
knees, and the cardinals in turn receive a palm from Him, kissing
the palm, his right hand and knee. The bishops present kiss the
palm which they receive and his right knee: and the mitred abbots
and _Penitenzieri_ kiss the palm and his foot[34], as do all who
come after them in the following order, which is observed also
on good-friday at the kissing of the cross, and it is also on
candlemas-day and ash-wednesday.

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