Show t3OFllEOUS FOAM 5 S S 4 Pope Performs Ceremony Closing Holy Door H MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE A5 Exercises Took Tlace With the TJt most Pomp of the Catholic Church t Pontiff Used the Artistic Golden Trowel Subscribed for by the Catholics of the World In the Cere moaj It Is Estimated That 80 000 Persons Were Spectators Popo S in Excellent Spirits r S I Home Dec 24The Tope today performed per-formed the ceremony of closing Cho holy 4 door of St Peters cathedral with thu gorgeous forms usual to great functions ft of this kind It was a magnlllcent spectacle spec-tacle There was great gathering of the princes of the church who participated c partici-pated in the ceremony which was wit t fcesscd by enormous crowds POPE JN EXCELLENT SPIRITS I The closing of the holy door took tc place with the utmost pomp of the fjatboUc church his Holiness descend i4i ing to St Peters cathedral at 11 a m w and the ceremonies lasted until 1 p m The Pope then returned to his apart y Hicnts apparently not fatigued lie Intoned t In-toned the Tc DQiim in a resonant voice and throughout gave evidence of being Ju excellent health and spirits He used the artistic golden trowel subscribed 1 for by the Catholics of the world In mortaring the three gilded briclcs which he placed as a first layer on the threshold thres-hold of St Peters door The whole pontifical court partloipatcd in the ceremonies cer-emonies SUPERB SPECTACLE The spectacle inside the vast basilica S was superb The pillars of the central navo were draped with goldembrold f cnd scarlet cloth and the porch under S vhlch the function took place was transformed into a magnificently decorated dec-orated hall On the left of the holy door was erected the pontifical throne covered with red and gold On the S right hand of the door stood tribunes S for royal personages princes Knights of Malta prelates representatives of the Roman nobility and other distinguished distin-guished persons t CHEAT THRONG PRESENTS PRESENT-S Inside the church every inch of space 5A was occupied by the throng which gathered early in the morning A strong detachment of troops stationed hi the square in front of the cathedral controlled the incoming crowds who literally raced to secure the best positions posi-tions PONTIFF ENTERS ST PETERS The Pope left his apartments at 1145 a m borne in the sacred chair and preceded by clergy with lighted candles can-dles archbishops bishops and cardinals cardi-nals and escorted by the pontifical noble Sg no-ble guards On his arrival at the portal S of SI Peters he alighted and entered the church through the holy door As lie appeared on the threshold the solemn S 7 sol-emn and silvery tones of the trumpetS trumpet-S echoed through the edifice The chapter chap-ter of the Vatican met him and prc S eenled to him holy water which he S J sprinkled upon the congregation Applause Ap-plause being forbidden a religious allS all-S lenco was observed which heightened the grandeur and impressiveness of the S moment < PRECIOUS RELICS DISPLAYED Borne now on the sedla geslatorld to the high altar he stepped to the ground and knelt before the most precious pre-cious relics of the Catholic church which were displayed on the altar Then the procession reformed and proceeded pro-ceeded to the chanel of the sacrament S where the pontiff again knelt for sometime S some-time while the choir of the Sistine chapel chanted psalms S S SEATED ON THE THRONE S The Pope was then borne to the holy dOor where lie alighted from the sedla S Ecitalorla and waited until the entire Sc procession had passed out through the door he leaving the church last and ualklng to the throne where he seated S himself A number of sacred songs 5 were sung by the Papal choir after which Leo rose and blessed all the material ma-terial employed in closing the door USED GOLDEN TROWEL Then ho descended from the throneS throne-S knelt before the dome and laid with tho golden trowel a layer of cement on I which he placed three gilt bricks bearIng bear-Ing commemorative crlpllons 33c flide the bricks he placed a cnskct conS con-S tlnlng gold silver and bronze medals and bearing the head of Lcp and In BcrlDtlona recording the opening and closing of the holy door DOORWAY CLOSED The Pope having ascended the throneS throne-S Cardinal Bishop Serallno Vannutclll and four other cardinals performed a similar ceremony of laying cement and three bricks after which the masons employed by the Vatican closed the S doorway with a canvas screen painted to represent marble with a cross In the centerSOLEMN SOLEMN BENEDICTION S The candles borne by the clergy were extinguished the Tc Dcum was sung and the Pontiff having given solemn benediction was Immctllately carried bick lo his Parlmonts It la estimated 0X > o persons were spectators of the ceremony |