These take place at present in the Sixtine chapel; in which the yellow colour of the candles and torches, the nakedness of the Pope's throne and of the seats of the church denote the desolation of the church at the sufferings and death of her divine founder. The Cardinals do not wear their rings; their dress is of purple, which is their mourning colour; in like manner the Bishops do not wear rings and their stockings are black: those of the Cardinals are purple; and the maces as well as the soldiers' arms are reversed. The Card. great Penitentiary with the sacred ministers are habited in black. There is no thurifer and there are no lights; for the death of the Son of God is going to be commemorated; and while He was hanging upon the cross and when He died, there was darkness over the whole earth. The Pope is habited in a red cope: he does not wear his ring nor give his blessing: but if he be present at this part of the service, His Holiness kneeling with the Card. Penitentiary at his left hand offers up prayers for a short time before the altar. This, which was stripped on the preceding day, is now covered with a linen cloth by two Cerimonieri[83]. The Pope then goes to His seat; and the Card. Celebrant accompanied by the ministers to the altar, and thence to his faldistorio or seat. An appropriate passage from the prophecy of Osee is sung by one of the choir, and the precept from Exodus concerning the killing of the paschal-lamb, a type of Christ, by the subdeacon. The Pope and the Card. Celebrant also read both these lessons, after each of which a tract is sung by the choir; and between them a prayer by the Celebrant. After the prophecies, which are a powerful confirmation of the truth of our holy religion, the account of the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, penned by an eye-witness S. John, the disciple of love, is recited[84]. It is read in a low voice by the Card. Celebrant and sung with the same impressive chant as on Palm-Sunday by three cantors wearing the alb, a black maniple and stole: they used formerly to recite it bare-footed. At those words "And bowing down his head he gave up the ghost" all kneel to adore their Redeemer. It is related of a servant of God of the name of Piccolomini, that he expired in church on good Friday when those words were sung. The latter part is chanted, but without the usual ceremonies, by the deacon, after he has taken off his folded chasuble and put on the large band or stole. A short sermon is then preached by a conventual Friar, who afterwards according to custom publishes the indulgence or remission of temporal punishment of thirty years granted by the Pope to those who have confessed and sincerely repented of their sins. See p. 37. As Morinus has shewn (De Penitentia cap. 4.) in most churches penitents were absolved and reconciled after the gospel.
Prayers for all mankind.
Christ, says S. Paul, died for all men, and when suffering on the cross, He prayed even for his relentless persecutors: on the anniversary then of his death it is fit that His church should pray for all men, that all may be saved by the application of His merits to their souls. The Card. Celebrant commences the beautiful, charitable, and ancient prayers of this day with the words, Let us pray, dearly beloved, for the holy church of God etc. The deacon then kneeling says (according to the ancient custom mentioned by S. Cesarius of Arles in his 36th homily, and by S. Basil in his book on the Holy Ghost c. XXVII) Let us bend our knees, and the subdeacon answers, Stand up, as it was customary to pray standing. This form is repeated before each prayer, except that which is offered for the Jews[85]: for their soldiers, bowing the knee before our Lord, mocked him saying in derision, Hail king of the Jews. Prayers follow for the Pope, for all the clergy, and holy people of God (formerly for the Emperor also) and catechumens who are to receive baptism on the day following. Having prayed for all members of the church, we then pray for heretics and schismatics, that God may deign to "deliver them from all errors, and bring them back to their holy mother the catholic and apostolic church"; and these petitions are followed by others for the conversion of Jews and Pagans[86].
Exposition of the cross: ancient crucifixes and crosses.
Adoration of the cross: its antiquity.
When these prayers are ended[87] the officiating Cardinal takes off his chasuble, and going to the epistle-side of the altar receives from the deacon the crucifix[88] covered with a black veil. Then turning towards the people, and uncovering the upper part of the crucifix, he sings, Behold the wood of the cross, on which hung the salvation of the world; in singing which words he is joined by two tenor-voices from the choir. The choir answers, Come, let us adore[89]. The Pope and all others kneel, except the Cardinal celebrant, who advances nearer to the middle of the altar, and uncovers the right arm of the crucifix, and repeats the same words in a higher tone, and again in a still higher tone before the middle of the altar, where he uncovers the whole cross. The choir answers as before, and all except the celebrant kneel each time the words are repeated. The Cardinal then places the crucifix on a rich cushion lying on the steps of the altar[90].
Trisagion.
I observed above, that it was formerly customary for the Pope and all others to walk bare-footed in the procession of this day, as others royal personages have done; for instance, S. Louis of France, S. Elisabeth of Hungary, and others. Thus to be barefooted was a sign of mourning (1 Sam. XV, 30. Jer. II, 25) among the Jews. Their priests were without shoes at their functions, in token of reverence (Exod. III, 5. Jos. V, 15). Some memorial of this practice is preserved in the present custom of taking off the shoes of the principal persons who revere and kiss the cross on this day. The Pope's shoes are taken off by an Ajutante di Camera, His cope by acolythes (Votanti di Segnatura), and afterwards His Holiness then makes three profound genuflections before the crucifix, gradually approaching nearer to it, and then kisses it in token of his love for Him, who died upon it for our salvation[91]. He also empties a purse, containing an offering of 100 scudi d'oro, into a silver basin near the crucifix. When the Pope is about to make the first genuflection, the choir begins to sing the improperii, the sentiments of which, and the chant composed by Palestrina [92], are admirably adapted to the pathetic ceremony. In them God enumerates the unparalleled benefits which he lavished upon the Jews, and the atrocious crimes by which they repaid Him. At the end of each improperium or reproach, the Trisagion is sung by one choir in Greek, and in Latin by another "Holy God! Holy strong one! Holy immortal, have mercy on us"[93]. The Pope then returns to his throne; he resumes his previous vestments and reads the improperii from the Missal held as usual by an assist. bishop kneeling. The Cardinal celebrant and all the other members of the sacred college, after their shoes have been taken off, assisted by the Ceremonieri revere and kiss the crucifix in the same manner as the Pope has done; and each of them leaves an offering of a scudo d'oro according to an ancient custom.[94] When they return to their places, their shoes are put on by their respective camerieri, who afterwards leave the chapel. The patriarchs and bishops assistant and non-assistant and the generals of religious orders without shoes, and all the other prelates etc. wearing their shoes, adore and kiss the cross in like manner, observing the same order as in going to receive palms on the preceding sunday; and they also make their offerings before the cross. When the sacred college has finished the adoration, the choir having ended the improperii sings the anthem Crucem tuam, the psalm Deus misereatur nostri, the hymn Pange lingua gloriosi lauream certaminis[95] etc. Towards the end of this beautiful ceremony the candles are lighted, the deacon spreads out the corporal[96] as usual, placing the purificator near it. He then respectfully takes the cross, and places it on the altar amid the candlesticks.
Chant of Pange lingua etc.