The Vatican Council, Number Two [pp. 841-854]

846 T/ie Vatican Co 26 iicil.
der secretary and two assistants. Se- length, to reach the council hall, in
Ven notaries are named, and eight the transept, to the right of the main
scrutatores or tellers, for receiving and altar. Hundreds remained to see
counting the votes. Among these them come out at the conclusion of
last is Monsignor Nardi, well known the meeting. On each of the ten
to the foreign visitors to Rome. The times since then that the bishops have
promotors, masters of ceremony, and met in general congregation, there
ushers are also named in this chap- was il~e crowd of Romans and of
ter. strangers. In truth, under some re Finally, the sovereign pontiff, who spects, this occasion seems almost as
would preside in person only in the interesting as a public session. The
solemn sessions, designated five car- bishops come, not in procession, but
dinals who, in his name and by his singly, or in groups of two, three, or
authority, would preside in the gene- four, as they may chance to arrive at
ral congregations. They were Car- the door of St. Peter's. They are
dinals De Reisach, De Luca, Bizzarri, robed not in cope and mitre, but sim Bilio, and Capalti. ply in rochet and mantelletta, and as
The apostolic letter also set forth they gravely walk up the nave, you
how the several committees of theo- have a full opportunity to scan their
logians had prepared sr/tc'nata, or features and study their bearing, their
draughts, as we would term them, on size, and to read the thousand and
various points belonging to the general one indications of character by whiU~,
purposes of the council. The Holy whether correctly or incorrectly, men
Father declared that he had abstain- will ever form soi~e judgment of
ed from giving to these draughts any those they look on. Most of them
sanction of approval. They would bear in their hands portfolios for wnt be placed in the hands of the bishops ing, and large quarto pamphlets which
for their serious study and for their have been distributed to them. They
discussion, (iiitcgra ~ttc~rc,) freely, and look as if they had been studying,
as to every part. and were still preoccupied with mat These arrangements were held to ters of importanc~.
be sufficient at least in the commence- They enter il~e door of the council
ment. Should it appear during the hall, and each one passes to his numprogress of the council that additional bered seat. Some open their pammeasures are necessary, it is obvious phlets, some are writing, some are
that they can, at any time, easily be conversing in whispers. At nine A.M.
provided by the fathers. the main door is closed. Whoever
In our account of the grand cere- comes late must enter by a side door.
monial of opening th~ council, we Mass of the Holy Ghost is celebrated
stated that the second decree appoint- by some one of the prelates, without
ed a second solemn session to be held music. At its concl qsion, the preon the festival of the Epiphany; Jaun- siding cardinals take their places. All
ary 6th. The bishops were also in- kneel while the chief cardinal reads
fUrmed that the first general congre- the prayers prescribed for the occagation would be held on Friday, De- sion. When he concludes, all rise,
cember ioth, at nine A.M. are seated, and the congregation is
On that morning, by half-past eight, opened.
thousands were waiting in the grand On December ioth, only four of
nave of St. Peter's, to see the bishops il~e presiding cardinals were in their
as they arnved and passed up its places. The chief one, Cardinal De