Agnus Pontificis

As the eagle represents the U. S.; the lion, Great Britain; the cock, France; so the lamb is one of the animals symbolically peculiar to the Papal State. Last week, in one of the prettiest ceremonies of the Catholic Church, two very special lambs received the very special blessing of His Holiness Pope Pius XL

Holiest of the lambs of Rome are those that frisk and bleat on the meadows of the Church of St. Agnes the Martyr, far out on the Via Nomentana. It is their special duty to sprout the wool that is woven into pallia for Papal bestowal on Cardinals, Patriarchs and Archbishops.* On the feast of St. Agnes last week, two of the most docile of the lambs of St. Agnes were carefully washed with finest soap, garlanded with flowers, trussed together with ribbons, laid in a grass-lined basket, carried to the Vatican.

Bleating amiably, the two lambs made frantic efforts to lick the Pontiff's hand as he blessed them, then lay quiescent as they were solemnly handed over to the Benedictine nuns of the Church of St. Cecilia in Trastevere, who promised to take the best of care of them until the day of their shearing, Wednesday in Holy Week, when the weather should be warm. Carried to St. Cecilia's convent, the two pontifical lambs resumed their important business of sprouting wool.

*The pallium, a diamond-shaped loop of lamb's wool "three fingers broad" embroidered with six purple crosses, is worn over the chasuble as a symbol of the secular authority delegated by the Holy See. Originally peculiar to the Pope, it is now given to cardinals and archbishops as the highest papal honor. As Archbishop Ratti, Pope Pius XI received the pallium for his work in Poland. Two to receive pallia a month ago were Cardinals Cerejeira, Patriarch of Lisbon, and Verdier, Archbishop of Paris.

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