Vatican: The creation of 32 new cardinals. Ceremony held at the Cathedral of San Pedro. The imposing public consistory in which his holiness, Pope Pius XII raised 32 new members to the sacred college. In the splendor of the ceremony the assistants applaud and cheer the holy father. Under the cupola of Michelangelo the magnificent ceremony never equaled in its pomp and splendor takes place in the annals of the secular basilica. The holy father occupies the throne. At the solemn moment, the cardinals-elect begin the first act of the consistory before their holiness, the Bishop of Rome. The symbolic rite of obedience to the temporal power of the high pontiff, the Most Reverend Francis Spellman, Archbishop of New York, kisses on his knees the foot of the Holy Father and the fisherman's ring, a traditional symbol of popular devotion to the Roman Church. Four North American and one Canadian prelates are among the new princes of the church. Archbishop James McGuigan of Toronto abides by the authority of the successor to Saint Peter. And now the highlight, the delivery of the mortarboard, Archbishop John Glennon approaches to receive the symbol of elevation to the sacred college. The mortarboard rests on his head only a few moments, from this moment the archbishop becomes his eminence, Cardinal Glennon. Archbishop Spellman ascends the throne a second time to receive the rank of cardinal from his former master. The ordination rites are splendid and solemn and at the end of the ceremony his holiness the Pope gives the attendees the apostolic blessing. The procession begins among the crowd of faithful by the huge nave of San Pedro. Its holiness blesses the people who fill the basilica and number more than 30 thousand, it is the largest turnout in the history of the largest temple in the world. The most solemn moment of the consistory before the altar of Saint Peter, Cardinal Samuel Stritch of Chicago and Cardinal Edward Mooney of Detroit prepare for the imposing final act. Before the tomb of the apostle Peter the new principles of the church prostrate themselves as a sign of its mission. Now the impressive ceremony is over and the new cardinals embrace their brothers, the former members of the holy college. And thus ends the first consistory since 1940, augury of a greater era of spiritual splendor for all of Christendom.
Date: 2/18/1946
Duration: 5 minutes 14 seconds
Film code: D-01945

Copyright DiFilm Archive - Archival Material Queries
[email protected] - http://www.difilm-argentina.com
More videos and information at: https://www.facebook.com/difilm or Follow us at: https://twitter.com/archivodifilm