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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Untitled Article
young English priest , who very kindly explained the meaning of all that was done . In the first place , all thosejwho wished to receive ordination presented themselves , one by one , before the Cardinal , who cut off a few locks of their hair , or , to speak in technical language , " gave them the tonsure . " Next came a kind of episode in the service , for the priests and the choir struck up the anthem of Gloria in Excelsis , the bells began to ring ,
the soldiers who had for the last two days had their muskets reversed in sign of mourning , turned them the right end upwards and fixed their bayonets , and the curtain which had concealed the picture behind the altar the whole of the holy week , was withdrawn . * On asking my friend what this meant , he replied , that it was to express the joy which was felt at the resurrection of Christ . On my remarking that this was somewhat premature , he replied , that this rejoicing used to take place at midnight on the Saturday , but that
the time had been altered , and that the ceremony was now performed by anticipation in the morning . He added , that the bells of the church in which we were , which is , in fact , regarded as the metropolitan church of Rome , gave the signal to all the others in the city , and that they began to ring immediately . The ordination service then proceeded , beginning with the four minor , and ihen taking the three higher , orders of the priesthood . First came twelve young men , who were aspirants to the lowest order . The
Cardinal explained to them that their office was to open the doors and to ring the bells of the church ; and lest any of them should be dull of comprehension , and should not understand what this meant , after they had each kneeled before his Reverence , and had a short white vest put over their black robe , they were sent to toll the bell , which they did very dutifully each in turn . The second order was that of the readers , to which the same set of young men were admitted who had just been made door-keepers , it being allowable to enter into two of the minor orders at the same time . These
presented themselves four together before the Cardinal , and touched the missal , in token of their being allowed to take a part in the celebration of divine service . The third order was that of the exorcists : these had the power given them of casting out evil spirits . The fourth order was that of the acolytes or candle-bearers : these presented themselves , like the former , before the Cardinal , and to denote their office had each a candle given them ,
and were made to touch a cruet , such as is used to hold the wine and water in the celebration of mass . Next came forward those who were aspirants to the order of sub-deacons . The Cardinal first inquired of one of his assessors whether they were worthy of the holy office , and being answered that they were to the best of his knowledge , he allowed them to be clothed in the robes of their new dignity , presented bis hand to each successively , that they might kiss the ring on his finger , and then pronounced a form of
words . This order also touched the chalice and the paten , as a sign of the part which they were to take in the celebration of the eucharist . After them came the ^ aspirants to the order of deacons . These , like the last , having been clothed in their new robes , the Cardinal placed one hand on the head of each , saying , Accipite Sanctum Spiritum , ( Receive the Holy Spirit , ) and they all touched the gospels , to denote that they were now allowed to read them in the public service . f The ceremonial for the aspirants to the
high-* During the holy week , it is the custom in the churches at Rome to veil all those pictures in which there is a figure of Christ . -f- It was either this order or the preceding which took the vow of perpetual chastity .
Untitled Article
744 Journal of a Tour on the Continent .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Nov. 2, 1828, page 744, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2566/page/16/
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