“Purple and Scarlet and Precious Stones.”
By Uriah Smith
THE old “mother of harlots,” Rev. 17: 4, 5, is beginning to flaunt her tawdry trappings in the United States. The following is the programme announced to be followed on the occasion of conferring the cardinal’s hat on John McCloskey, D. D., of New York, April 27, 1875, which we suppose has been carried out to the letter:— “The service will open with a grand procession from the sacristy. First, will be the acolytes, in white surplices, and white, scarlet, and black cassocks. The reverend clergy of the city and others from a distance will follow in the order of their rank, and immediately after them the bishops and archbishops, wearing their rochets, purple cassocks, mantellettas and berettas. The celebrant of the Pontifical Mass, with his assistant priests, deacons of honor, and the deacon and sub-deacon, will come next. After the celebrant the Cardinal’s cross-bearer, bearing the archiepiscopal cross, will follow. The procession will close with the Cardinal himself and his attendant ministers. His Eminence will wear his Capa Magna, a long, flowing purple robe, which bishops and archbishops are entitled to use when assisting at solemn mass, ‘coram episcopo.’ This robe is fringed with ermine, and has an ermine cape attached. Its train will be borne by four acolytes. The Cardinal will wear, in addition, his archiepiscopal dress, consisting of rochet, purple cassock, mantelletta, and beretta.”149 “When the procession enters the sanctuary, the priests will proceed to the middle aisle and occupy the position assigned for their accommodation. The sanctuary will be devoted to the Archbishops and Bishops. It has been enlarged for the occasion, and will be decorated with unusual splendor.” In relation to this event the Battle Creek Journal says:— “It is perhaps too soon to say what importance attaches to the fact of the appointment of an American Cardinal. A correspondent of the Debates (Paris) from Rome, says the prelate who brought to Monsignor McCloskey his baretta was charged with an important mission, and the Holy See has firmly resolved, should its stay in Rome become insupportable, to transport itself to the United States. Neither France nor Austria could give it asylum, without the most certain risk of war with Germany. England cannot be depended upon to renew the offer of the island of Malta, and Spain is too much disturbed internally to afford a safe refuge to the pope. The nomination of a large number of new bishops for the United States is thought to also have some connection with the ultimate design to make his headquarters here. The Saint Siege is credited with having taken the precaution to create a large reserve fund, which would not be useless in such a contingency. It already amounts to £1,600,000, and increases daily. Undoubtedly, popes and Cardinals will be as safe, personally, in the United States as in any country in the world, and perhaps as harmless.”