Holy Week in Spain [pp. 840-854]

HOLY WEEK zN SPAIN.
dressed in black and with veils concealing their faces, who
walked behind. Then bishops, priests, and acolytes with incense,
crosses, and banners.
The queen and we of the royal party left our seats and,
with candles in our hands, accompanied the procession until it
reached the cathedral.
HOLY SATURDAY.
The Holy Week ceremonies finished this morning by the
taking away of the black veil in the cathedral.
A long black veil hung from roof to floor, concealing the
altar. All was dark and sombre; no lights, flowers, or ornaments relieved the gloom.
Suddenly, as the priest intoned the words Glorta in excelsis
Deo, a volley of cannon thundered through the cathedral, and,
as if by magic, the great black veil was drawn aside, and there
stood the altar white and dazzling, one blaze of light, gold,
and flowers, while a thousand sweet.toned silver bells were set
ringing, the organ pealed forth a flood of harmony from its
metal tubes, and the choir triumphantly sang "Glory be to
God on high!"
HOLY WEEK IN MADRID.
Madrid celebrates her Holy Week ceremonies in quite a different manner from Seville.
There are no gorgeous pageants or processions through the
streets, except the royal procession on Holy Thursday; everything is carried on inside the churches. All is devotional, stately,
royal, as befitting the capital of Spain.and the headquarters of
"his most Catholic majesty."
The most interesting of all the ceremonies are those which
take place in the Chapel Royal of the palace. The following
pages from my journal were written during the Holy Week,
April, I885, when King Alfonso IX. was alive* and. assisted at
them in state, with the queen and royal family.
PALM SUNDAY.
This morning there was what is called capilia publica in the
Chapel Royal; which means that the king, queen, and royal
family assist at Mass publicly and in state in the Chapel
Royal, instead of privately in their tribune or oratory.
The ceremonies began at eleven o'clock. A few minutes before the hour the king and queen passed in procession through
* King Alfonso died November 25, x885.
1894.]
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