GOLDEN
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GOLDEN
place in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalerame (a
figure, according to Pope Innocent III, of the heav-
enly Jerusalem), and this was the practice until the
popes removed to Avignon. The blessing was fol-
lowed by a solemn Mass sung either by the pope him-
self or the first cardinal-priest; in the former case the
rose was placed on a veil of rose-coloured silk richly
embroidered with gold ; in the latter the pope held the
rose in his hand, unless when he knelt, or at the In-
troit, Confiteor, Elevation, and the singing of " Laude-
mus in Domino". Returning processionally to the
Lateran Palace, he carried the rose in his hand, and ar-
riving at the door of the palace, he gave to the Prefect
of Rome who had led hLs horse by the bridle and had
aided him to dismount, the rose as a recompense for
acts of respect and homage. Prior to 1.305 the rose
was given in Rome to no outsider, except the emperor
and to him only on the day of his coronation. Whilst
residing at Avignon (1.305-1375) the popes, unable to
make visits to the Roman churches and basilicas, per-
formed many of their sacred functions, among them
the blessing of the rose, in the private chapel of their
palace (whence the origin of the Cappella Pontificia).
On their return to Rome they (Sixtus V excepted) re-
tained the custom thus begun.
The blessing of the rose now takes place in the Hall of Vestments {cdtncra dei parimenli) and the solemn Mass in the papal chapel. The rose is placed on a table with lighted candles, and the pope, ve.sted in alb and rose-coloured stole and cope with precious mitre on his head, begins the ceremony with the usual ver- sicles and the following beautiful and expressive prayer: " O God! by Whose word and power all things have been created, by Whose will all things are di- rected, we humbly beseech Thy Majesty, Who art the joy and gladness of all the faithful, that Thou wouldst deign in Thy fatherly love to bless and sanctify this rose, most delightful in odour and appearance, which we this day carry in sign of spiritual joy, in order that the people consecrated by Thee and delivered from the yoke of Babylonian slaverjr through the favour of Thine only-begotten Son, Who is the glory and exulta- tion of the people of Israel and of that Jerusalem which is our Heavenly mother, may with sincere hearts show forth their joy. Wherefore, O Lord, on this day, when the Church exults in Thy name and manifests her joy by this sign [the rose], confer upon us through her true and perfect joy and accepting her devotion of to-day; do Thou remit sin, strengthen faith, increase piety, protect her in Thy mercy, drive away all things adverse to her and make her ways safe and prosperous, so that Thy Church, as the fruit of good works, may unite in giving forth the perfume of the ointment of that flower sprung from the root of Jesse and which is the mystical flower of the field and lily of the valleys, and remain happy without end in eternal glory to- gether with all the saints." The prayer finished, the pope puts incense (handed by the cardinal-deacon) into the censer and incenses the balsam and then the musk, and afterwards pours the balsam and powdered musk into the tiny cup in the heart of the principal rose. He then incenses the rose and sprinkles it with holy water. It is then given to the youngest cleric of the Camera, who carries it in front of the pope to the chapel, where it is placed on the altar at the foot of the cross upon a richly embroidered silk veil, where it remains during the Mass sung by the first cardinal- priest. After the Mass, the rose is carried in proces- sion before the pope to the sacristy, where it is care- fully put away in a place setapartfor it, until bestowed upon some worthy personage.
The custom initiated at Avignon of conferring the rose upon the most deserving prince present at the papal court was continued in Rome when the popes returned from Avignon. The recipient of the rose from the hands of the pope, after the solemn function, was accompanied by the College of Cardinals from the
papal palace to his residence. From the beginning of
the seventeenth century the rose was sent only to
queens, princesses, and eminent noblemen; to em-
perors, kings, and princes were given a sword as a
more suitable gift. It is true, however, that if a
C'atholic emperor, king, or some great prince were
present in Rome on La;tare Sunday, he would be pre-
sented with the rose if he were deserving. The office
of carrying and conferring the rose upon those living
outside of Rome was given by the pope to cardinal
legates a latere, nuncios, inter-nuncios, and Apostolic
ablegates. In 1895 a new office, called " Bearer of the
Golden Rose", was instituted, and assigned to a secret
chamberlain of sword and cloak participatile.
Among the principal churches to which the rose has been presented are St. Peter's (five roses), St. John Lateran (four roses — according to some two of the four were given to the basilica proper and two to the chai^el called Sancta Sanctorum), St. Mary Major (two roses), St. Mary sopra Minerva (one rose), and St. Anthony of the Portuguese (one rose). It was also presented to the Archconfraternity of Gonfalone. All these roses have been lost. Among the many re- cipients of the gift, the following are noteworthy: Fal- cone, Count of Angers, who received it from Urban II (109G), Alfonso VII, King of Castile (Eugene III; 1148); Louis VII of France (Alexander III; 11G3); Louis I of Hungary (Clement VI; 1348); Joanna I, Queen of Naples (13GS); Emperor Sigismund (Eu- gene IV; I4:i5); Henry VI of England (Eugene IV; 1444) ; Ca-simir IV, King of Poland (Nicholas V ; 1448) ; Emperor Frederick III and his wife Empress Eleo- nora, who were crowned on Lsetare Sunday (1452) and received the Golden Ro.se next day from Nicholas V ; Charles VII of France (CallistiLS III; 1457); James III of Scotland (Innocent VIII; 1486); Isabella I, Queen of Spain (Alexander VI; 1493); Alexander I of Poland (Julius II; 1505); Emanuel I of Portugal (Julius II; 1506) ; Henry VIII of England, who received one from Pope Julius II, one from Leo X, and one from Clement VII in year 1524; Frederick, Duke of Mantua (Paul III; 1537), because of his kindness towards the Fa- thers of the Council of Trent; Mary, Queen of Eng- land, daughter of Henry VIII (PaulIV; 1555); Henry of Anjou, King of Poland (Clement VIII; 1592); Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, on the day she was married to Philip III by proxy in presence of Pope Clement VIII (1598) ; Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, at Amiens (Urban VIII; 1625); Maria of Austria, Queen of Hungary (LTrban VIII; 1630); Maria Theresa, Queen of France (1668), for her infant son, the Dauphin, for whom Pope Alexander VII was god-father; Eleonora, Queen of Poland (('lenient X; 1671) ; Mary Casimir, wife of John III, King of Poland, Saviour of Vienna (Innocent XI; 1684); Amelia of Brunswick, empress (Innocent XII; 1699); Maria Louisa Gabriele of Savoy, Queen of Spain (Clement XI; 1701); Francesco Loredano, Doge of Venice (Clement XIII; 1759); Maria Christina, Archduchess of Austria (Pius VI; 1776); Maria Theresa, widowed Queen of Sardinia (Leo XII; 1825); Maria Anna, Queen of Hungary, afterwards empress (Gregory XVI; 1832); Maria II, Queen of Portugal (Gregory XVI ; 1842) ; Maria Pia of Portugal, on the day of her baptism (Pius IX, her godfather, 1849); Isabella II of Spain (Pius IX ; 1868) ; Maria Christina, Queen Regent of Spain (Leo XIII; 1886); Isabella, Princess Imperial of Brazil, then Regent of the Empire (Leo XIII; 1880); Marie Am^lie, Queen of Portugal (Leo XIII; 1892) ; and, lastly, Marie Henriette, Queen of the Bel- gians (Leo XIII; 1893).
GioBBlo, Leziani di Diplomazia Ecdesiastica (Rome. 1899), Pt. I, Lib. I, Cap. iv, Art. IV, n. 287 sqq.; Andrk-Wagner. DicHonnaire de Droit Canonique, III, 370; Babhy, The .Sacra- mentals (Cincinnati, 1858), 108 sqq.
P. M. J. Rock.
Golden Spur, Order of. See Military Orders.
