LETTERS FROM ROME

[The series of letters which follow were written to the editors of the United States Catholic Miscellany, by Dr. England, during his second visit to Rome, on the affairs of his Haytian Legation, and published in that paper at intervals, in 1834.]

July 1. In my last, I gave you the principal acts of the secret consistory that was held on the 23rd ultimate. I do not recollect whether I mentioned that on the same day the holy father placed the cardinal's ring on the finger of each of the three to whom he gave their titles, viz.-Cardinals Monico, Brignole, and Grimaldi. On the afternoon of that day, when the new Cardinals Canali, Botiglia and Polidori, returned from the Vatican, where they had been to pay their respects to his Holiness, and to receive their red caps, they went to their respective homes, and immediately after dusk, fires were lighted, the illuminations displayed generally through the city, and the cardinals, the corps diplomatique, the prelates, the guard of nobles, the general staff of the army and militia, and the nobility of Rome, and foreign nobles then in the city, went to pay their respects to their eminences.

Cardinal Monico was attached by the holy father to the congregations for Apostolic Ordinary Visitation, Consistorial, Residence of Bishops, and Examination of Bishops in Theology.

Cardinal Brignole was attached to the congregations of the Index, of Sacred Rites, of Indulgences and Holy Relics, and of Examination of Bishops in Canon Law.

Cardinal Grimaldi was attached to the congregations of the Consulta, of Loretto, of Economy, and of Good Government.

Perhaps it might be well to inform your readers, that for the better despatch of business, it is in Rome, as in other places, divided into several portions, according to the various subjects; and the cardinals are divided into as many standing committees as there are subjects. A standing committee of this description is called a congregation, and like your standing committees of the judiciary, of ways and means, and so forth, these congregations are named each from the nature of the business given to its examination and regulation. The chairman is called Cardinal Prefect, and each congregation has its proper sec

retary, who is to be found at stated hours in his office. Each cardinal belongs to several of those congregations;-they meet at stated periods, discuss and decide upon the business brought before them-their decisions are then reported to the Pope by the Cardinal Prefect, or by the secretary, who, at the proper time, receives either the confirmation, the modification, or the rejection of the holy father, and transmits to the proper prelate the order for execution: or whatever other order might be necessary. Besides the cardinals, there belong to those several congregations a select number of learned divines, canonists, and other persons of prudence and experience, as consultors, assessors, and so forth.-Printed briefs of the business to be considered, together with the documents to be examined, are given to the members, at least a full week previous to the period of discussion, and generally each cardinal consults one or more theologians and canonists, for whose opinion he has respect, besides hearing the regular officers of the congregation. The Pope has also his own canonists and theologians whom he consults if he finds any doubt as to the propriety of confirming the decisions of the congregation. The holy father is occupied several hours daily, in the consideration of these reports.

Monsignor Antonio Tosti, who has long presided with great efficiency and zeal over the great establishment of St. Michael, was appointed treasurer of the Reverenda Camera Apostolica, or state treasury. This is one of the offices from which the incumbent is, as a matter of course, promoted to the cardinalate. Monsignor Tosti does not immediately resign the charge of St. Michaels. The Archbishop of Ephesus, the Most Reverend John Soglia, succeeds Cardinal Canali as secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, and Monsignor Soglia is succeeded by the Most Reverend Ludovico Trevoli, Archbishop of Athens, as private almoner to the Pope. Monsignor John Charles Alessi, succeeds Cardinal Polidori as Secretary to the Congregation of the Council, and the Most Reverend Joseph Vespigniani, Archbishop of Thyana, succeeds the same Cardinal as Secretary to the Congregation for the Examination of Bishops. The Most Reverend Dominic Genovesi, Archbishop of Mytelene, succeeds to the Secretaryship of the Congregation of Indulgences and Holy Relics, vacated by the Archbishop of Athens. Several other appointments took place, but they were for mere temporal or civil administration.

On Tuesday the 24th, the festival of St. John the Baptist, and a special patron of the great church of Lateran, the first in dignity in the Christian world; as it ranks before St. Peter's on the Vatican, having been given by Constantine to the Pope. His Holiness went in

state to this great patriarchal basilic, to assist at the Pontifical Mass, which was chanted by the venerable Cardinal Pacca, dean of the Sacred College, and archpriest of the Lateran Church. Being a Papal chapel, the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops, assisted at the throne, the principal assistant at the throne, the magisterial delegates, prelates, and so forth, were present. Solemn vespers were chanted in the afternoon, at which the cardinals attended.

On Thursday the 26th, a public consistory was held in the ducal chamber at the Vatican, for the purpose of giving their hats to the new cardinals, viz., Tiberi, bishop of Jeoci, in the Papal states, and late Nuncio in Spain,-who was created cardinal in September 30th, 1831, and reserved in petto, his resignation published on the 2d of July, 1832, but who had arrived in Rome only within the previous week; Canali, Bottiglia, and Polidori. The four new cardinals went to the Sistine chapel, at the altar of which they successively were sworn in presence of the cardinal-dean, Pacca, first of the order of bishops,-Cardinal Galleffi Camerlengo of the holy Roman church, Cardinal Odescalchi, vice-chancellor, Doria-Pamphilia, first cardinalpriest present. Rivarola, first cardinal-deacon present, Mattei, Cardinal Camerlengo, of the sacred college, and the Most Reverend Lui Frezza, Archbishop of Chalcedon, secretary of the congregation of Consistory, and secretary of the sacred college.

The Sala Regia, or royal hall, of the Vatican palace is a splendid room of vast extent, to which you ascend by the Scala Regia, or royal staircase, which is a magnificent flight of steps between the church of St. Peter and the Vatican palace; as you enter, you have on your right, at one extremity of the hall, the gate which leads into the Pauline Chapel; on turning towards the left, and advancing about fifty or sixty feet into the room, you have on your left the gate of the Sistine Chapel, and on your right that of the Sala Ducale or ducal hall. On entering this hall, which is about fifty feet wide, it was found that the consistory was assembled. At the farther extremity, about one hundred feet distant, an elevated platform, to which there was an ascent of three steps, extended across the room; at either extremity was a large and massy door, tastefully decorated, raised on the platform midway between them, under a canopy of crimson and gold, the Papal throne was elevated three steps more, having on each side the flabelli displayed. The Pope was clothed in a rich cope, wearing a plain mitre of cloth of gold, with his domestic prelates, principal officers civil and military, and the guard of nobles, occupying the platform on each side. In front, at a moderate distance, the bench for cardinals ranged at

each side, and crossed nearly towards the third part of the hall, forming three sides of a parallelogram. The cardinal-dean sat at the inner extremity towards the Pope's right hand, wearing his purple cappa, with his train-bearers seated at his feet; five other cardinal-bishops sat on his right in their successive order, then the cardinal-priests according to their seniority; opposite the cardinal-dean the third senior cardinal-deacon sat, at the inner extremity of the bench, towards the left of his holiness and his junior brethren, extending outwards on his left, until the junior deacon was found near the junior priest; the two senior deacons stood on either side of the Pope. All the cardinals were similarly habited, and similarly attended. The prince Orsini, the head of the ancient Guelph family and present senator of Rome, stood as prince-assistant at the throne on the right of the first cardinaldeacon. On your right as you entered the room, a beautiful and convenient gallery, with open lattice work in front, had been erected for ladies, of whom there were several; the number that might be thus accommodated would be at least one hundred and fifty. Under these galleries, behind the cardinal-deacons and junior priests, there were accommodations for prelates and distinguished strangers. I observed in this place Captain Read of the Constellation frigate, and some of his officers. The space immediately next the cardinals' bench was occupied by the Swiss guard, drawn up in line across the hall, in their ancient costume, and having their spears. The rest of the room was filled with monks, friars, officers, civil and military, priests and laymen, of all nations and tongues.

Silence was proclaimed. Some of the consistorial advocates addressed the holy father upon various subjects, in the way of motions for consistorial decisions. Amongst them was one who made the preliminary motion for proceeding to the beatification of the venerable servant of God, Maria Clotilda Xavier, of Bourbon, a queen of Sardinia. Eight cardinals then left the hall-they were the deacons and junior priests-to introduce from the Sistine chapel the four cardinals. who had just previously taken the oaths; when these four arrived in the hall, going successively to the throne, each kissed the Pope's right foot and right hand, after which the holy father embraced him on each cheek. They next went to their brethren of the sacred college, commencing with the cardinal-dean, and were embraced by each of them successively in like manner only on the cheek. After which each went on his knees before the holy father, who, with the proper prayer and suitable admonition, placed the red hats on their heads successively, and gave his blessing and retired. The cardinals then went to the

Sistine chapel with their newly admitted brethren; there the Te Deum was chaunted in superior style, at the conclusion of which the proper prayer was said for the new cardinals, who were again embraced by their brethren, of whom thirty-one were present. In the evening each new cardinal visited St. Peter's Church, then the cardinal-dean, and returning home, had a party of his friends, and appeared in full dress; during the assembly, the keeper of the Pope's wardrobe brought the hat in state, and delivered it with a suitable address, to which the cardinal made an appropriate answer, and the palaces of the city were illuminated.

As a sort of supplement, I might add, that on the same afternoon the Pope received in the kindest manner, in his gardens, the visit of Captain Read, his lady, the chaplain (a Presbyterian clergyman), and eight or ten officers of the Constellation frigate, amongst whom there was only one Catholic, Lieutenant Francis Rall, of the marines; they were presented by Mr. Cicognani, the Consul of the United States.

July 7.-The great festival of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, was celebrated on Sunday the 29th, with the usual solemnity. Of course, you are aware that the celebration commences at first vespers; the church, in her celebration of public offices following the ancient Judaic mode of observing the ecclesiastical day, from evening until evening. At this point, therefore, all the great festivals commence.

The weather, at this time of the year, is nearly as warm as in Charleston; the thermometer generally being, at midday, about 27° of Reaumur, or 92° of Fahrenheit, without any sea breeze; there are, therefore, very few strangers in the city; hence, although I should suppose there were upwards of fifteen thousand persons at St. Peter's, it appeared almost deserted.

The procession left that hall of the Vatican, which is called the robing-room, at about half past five o'clock. It was not very large. The number of extraordinary chamberlains and chaplains, together with the other ecclesiastical officers who preceded the cross, in red sutans and surplices, did not appear to be over one hundred, probably an equal number of civil officers. The sub-deacon, accompained by his seven acolyths, followed them; behind him were the porters of the red staff. The swiss guards, in their ordinary dress, now dotted the remainder of the procession on either side; then followed the greater prelates under the episcopal order, probably about forty, the twelve penitentiaries of St. Peter's in red chasubles. The number of assistant