On the 7th of December, 1869—Vigil of the Immaculate Conception—Pius IX.,
attended by an imposing suite, repaired to the Church of the Twelve
Apostles, in order to inaugurate solemnly a period of nine days’ prayer in
honor of the Blessed and Immaculate Mary. The following day, at an early
hour, the cannon of the Castle of St. Angelo announced to the holy city
the great event that had been so long looked forward to. As early as six
o’clock a.m. the three naves of St. Peter’s were filled with a crowd of
the faithful, and all the approaches to the Basilica were thronged with
people. At nine o’clock was seen the magnificent procession of mitred
abbots, bishops and archbishops, primates, patriarchs and cardinals, that
preceded the _sedia gestatoria_ which bore the Pope. The sacred cortege
required about an hour to traverse the hall (atrium) and the chief nave of
St. Peter’s, and reach the left(9) arm of the cross which forms the
immense Basilica, and which had been set apart and prepared as a vast
chamber for the celebration of the council by that skilful architect,
Virginius Vespignani.
1,044 Fathers were invited to be present as members of the council. 803
attended at the opening. Of these there were six archbishops who were also
princes, forty-nine cardinals, eleven patriarchs, six hundred and eighty
archbishops and bishops, twenty-eight abbots, and twenty-nine generals of
religious orders. The entire number surpassed by one hundred and
thirty-five the united numbers of all the Fathers of Nice, Constantinople
and Ephesus. The day had gone by when the European sovereigns could be
bidden to an Œcumenical Council. Several of their representatives,
however, attended at the opening. The highest of the Roman nobility were
also present. The Colonna and Orsini families enjoyed the honor of being
princes attendant at the Papal throne on occasion of all the public
ceremonials of the council. Others of the Roman nobility, sovereigns and
princes, at the time in the city, were present. Among these were the
ex-King of Naples, the Empress of Austria, the ex-Duke and Duchess of
Tuscany, the ex-Duke and Duchess of Parma, together with the Doria and
Borghese families. Several foreign princes, General Kanzler,
commander-in-chief of the Papal forces, and General Dumont, who commanded
the French battalions in garrison at Rome, likewise attended.
The hymn, _Veni Creator_, was sung, and immediately thereafter the first
session of the Vatican Council was formally opened with the celebration of
High Mass. At the conclusion of mass, the secretary of the council placed
upon the altar the Book of the Gospels, which always remained open
throughout the session. The council then heard a sermon, and the Holy
Father intoned the Synodal prayers, which were followed by the Litany of
the Saints. Immediately after the chanting of the Gospel, Pius IX. made an
allocution to the following effect: “You are met, venerable brethren, in
the name of Jesus Christ, to bear witness with us to the word of God; to
declare with us to all men the truth, which is the way that leads to God;
and to condemn with us, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the
doctrines of false science. God is present in His holy place; He is with
our deliberations and our efforts; He has chosen us to be His servants and
fellow-workers in the great work of His salvation. Therefore, knowing well
our own weakness, and filled with mistrust of ourselves, we lift up our
eyes and our prayers to Thee, O Holy Ghost, to Thee the source of true
light and wisdom.”
The _Veni Creator_ having been once more sung, the Bishop of Fabriano read
from the _Ambo_ the decree ordaining the opening of the council. It was in
substance as follows: “Is it the pleasure of the Fathers that the
Œcumenical Council of the Vatican should be opened, and should be declared
open for the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, the custody and declaration
of the faith and of the Catholic religion; for the condemnation of errors
which are widely spreading, and the correction of clergy and people?” The
council replied unanimously _placet_. The Pope then declared the council
to be opened, and fixed the second public session for the feast of the
Epiphany, January 6, 1870. The session closed with the _Te Deum_ and the
Pontifical benediction. All the public sessions which were afterwards held
were opened pretty much in the same manner.