Thursday 6 November 2008

3. Into the Basilica



Pope John now gets back onto the sedia and is carried into St Peter's. The band of the Noble Guard blow the dust off their car horns and ponderously parp out Silveri's Marcia Nobile from the window overlooking the nave over the main entrance. During the period of non expedit, from the Risorgimento until the Lateran Treaty, at least one Pope was crowned at this window rather than on the balcony outside its opposite across the Sala della Benedizione which lies over the porch.
The Holy Father heads about half way up the nave, and then turns right into the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. You can see the little tonsures on the heads of the assisting clerics at about 4.32: these mini-tonsures have now entirely vanished.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was fascinating - I remember reading about the coronation at the time but our family had no television then so I had no idea of the ceremonial involved.

I carried on with watching anothing video showing the actual coronation with the papal tiara. This lead on to Bishop Fulton Sheen telling the amusing story of Pope John when Cardinal of Venice going into a flooded wine shop. 'Dry throat your eminence?' 'No wet feet!'

Yes there is so much history to be found on Youtube. Thank you for finding these images of Pope John for us to appreciate. I had no idea the sedes gestoria was so precarious - I really don't blame the popes for giving it up. When I was privileged to see Pope Benedict drive past in his Popemobile in Lourdes in September he was seated comfortably and did not have to worry about falling off!

Anonymous said...

Any further postings are to come? Would the film be available on DVD from RAI or the Vatican Press Office?

Anonymous said...

Is this blog still alive???

Deo Volente you are going to make more posts.

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