ROMAN
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meeting called nova praeparatoria is required, to
elucidate some point relating to the virtue of tlie
servant of God or to the miracles in question. Some-
times there is even a third meeting for the same pur-
pose. The regular third meeting is called the gen-
eral congregation. It is held under the presidency
of the sovereign pontiff himself and is attended by
all the cardinals who form the Congregation of
Rites, the prelate-officials, and the consultors, all of
whom vote — the consultors and the prelate-officials
first, and then, when the consultors have withdrawn,
the cardinals. The pope decides definitively; as a
rule, however, he does not pronounce his judgment
at once, but takes time to deliberate and to implore
Divine light upon the question. Besides the above
meetings, others, called ordinary and special ordinary',
are held for the purpose of examining the proceed-
ings and the proof of the fame of sanctity which is
necessary for the introduction of a cause of beati-
fication. (See also Beatification and Canoniza-
tion.)
Returning to the first duty of this congregation, which is the supervision and direction of the Liturgy, it may be said that the inspection, correction, and condemnation of liturgical books of whatever kind pertain to the Congregation of Rites (saving always the prerogatives of the Holy Office in matters of faith), as well as the approbation of new liturgical Offices and calendars, and especially the authorita- tive solution of all doubts which may arise on htur- gical matters. Recourse must be had, therefore, to this congregation for all faculties, indulgences, and dispensations relating to liturgical functions. Thus, for example, it is for the Congregation of Rites to grant the faculty to bless sacred vestments, the authorization to expose upon the altar the image of one who has been beatified, or to dedicate an altar to such a servant of God, the right to wear special insignia during choral offices, etc. In th(; performance of these functions, the Congregation of Rites is assisted by three commissions, established within its own body. The first of these is the Liturgical Commission, created for the revision of Decrees concerning rites. This work was begun and finished by Leo XIII, the congregation publishing an authentic edition of its Decrees (1898-1900). Although the work for which it was created has been done, this commission remains, and is now consulted on more important questions which may arise concerning the sacred rites. The second commission, also instituted by Leo XIII, in 1902, is the Hi,storico-Liturgical Commission, which has the function of judging historical questions con- cerning the sacred rites. The third is the Commis- sion on Sacred Music, created by Pius X, in 1904, the functions of which are connected with the Motu Proprio on sacred music of 1903 and with otlier acts of Pius X on the same subject. (See the letter of 8 December, 1903, to Cardinal Respighi, the Decree of 8 January, 1904, the Motu Proprio of the 2n April, 1904, on the Vatican edition of the liturgical books, and the other two Decrees of 1 1 and 14 August, 1905.)
C0HELUU8, op. cit., Congr. V pro sacris ritibus et cwremoniia; LuNADORO, op. cit., cap. xiv, Delia congregazione de' sagri riti, del promotore della fede e di altri personaggi di delta congregazione; De Luca, Rel. rom. curiae for., disc. 18; Danieli, op. cit., s. v.; Benedict XIV, De servorum Dei bealificcUione et beatorum cano- nizatione (Rome, 1747-49); Acta canonizationis SS. Fidelis a Sigmaringa, Camilli de Lellis, Petri Regalati, losephi a Leonissa, et Catharime de Riciis una cum apostolicis litl. SS. D. N. Benedicti XIV et vaticancB basilicw ornatus descriptione (Rome, 1749); Benedict XIV, Appendices ad quatuor libros de servorum Dei beatificatione et beatorum canonizatione (Rome, 1749); SS. D. N. Benedicti XIV P. O. M. acta et decreta in causis beatificationum et canonizationum aliisque ait -lacrorum rituum materiam perti- nentibus ad annum pontificatus sui decimum (Rome, 1751); De Azevedo, SS. D. N. Bene/licti PP. XIV doctrina de servorum Dei beatificatione et beatorum canonizatione in synopsim redacta (Naples, 1854) ; Decreta auihenlica Congr. Sacrorum Rituum ex actis ejusdem collecta, ejusque auctoritate promulgata (Rome, 1898—).
XIII.-lO
IX. Congregation of Ceremonies. — It is not
quite certain who created this congregation. Many
attribute its establishment to Sixtus V, others to
his immediate predecessor, Gregory XIII. Haine
says that the latter opmion is proved to be correct
by the records of the congregation itself. Supposing
this to be the case, the error of certain authors is
apparent, when they consider this congregation to
be little more than a branch of the Congregation of
Rites or to have derived its existence from the latter.
It is, on the contrary, more ancient than the last-
named congregation, and deals directly with the
highest division of the Liturgy, considering the ijerson-
ages whom it concerns. For this congregation is
charged with the direction of all the papal ceremonies,
as well as of the ceremonial of cartlinals, whether in
the pontifical court (aula) or chapel {cappclla ponti-
ficia), or elsewhere. It is reasonable that a special
congregation should have under its care ceremonies
so august and solemn, since it is of the highest impor-
tance that when the supreme head of the Church
participates in ecclesiastical functions attended by
the most illustrious dignitaries of the Church, all
should be in keeping with that decorum which befits
their exalted character. As in all courts there is a
grand master of ceremonies, charged with the direc-
tion of the sovereign's acts on occasions of State,
so it was necessary that at the pontifical Court there
should be an authority to preside over such functions.
This requirement is supplied by the Congregation
of Ceremonies, which, besides the direction of Htur-
gical functions, is charged with the direction of the
pontifical court ceremonial for the reception of sov-
ereigns or of ambassadors. It also communicates
instructions to the legates of the Holy See for the
maintenance of due decorum in transacting the
affairs of their missions. This congregation also
instructs the members of the Noble Guard and the
ablegate who are sent to convey to new cardinals,
living in Catholic states outside of Rome, the news of
their promotion, together with the cardinal's hat and
the red biretta. It instructs newly-promoted cardinals,
too, on the etiquette to be followed conformably with
their new dignity. Finally, it solves the questions
of precedence which arise among cardinals or among
ambassadors to the Holy See.
LuNADORO, op. cit., cap. xiv, Della congregazione del cere- moniale e dei maestri delle ceremonie.
X. Congregation of Extraordinary Ecclesi- astical Affair.s. — In former times, when questions of exceptional interest to the Church presented them- selves, and circumstances required that they should in prudence be treated with secrecy, the popes were wont to establish special congregations of cardinals for the consideration of those matters. These con- gregations were called congregations of State. Pius \'I, following this custom, on the occasion of the revolutionary conditions of France in 1793, estab- lished a congregation of this kind, which he called the Congregation for the Ecclesiastical Affairs of France (Congregatio super negotiis ecclesiasticis regni GalUarum), a title which Pius VII, in 1805, changed to Congregation for Extraordinary Ecclesi- astical Affairs (Congregatio de negotiis ecclesiasticis extraordinariis). This congregation remained in ex- istence until 1809, when the exile of Pius VII brought it to an end. In 1814, when Pius VII returned to Rome, the needs of the Church being still exceptional, the pope re-established this congregation under the title of Extraordinary Congregation for the Eccle- siastical Affairs of the Cathohc World (Congregatio extraordinaria praeposita negotiis ecclesiasticis orbis catholici). In 1827, however, the congregation re- assumed its former name of Congregation for E.x- traordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, which it retains to the present time. At the head of this congregation
