Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/480

 PALM

432

PALM

Catholic religion was the guide of his studies during life, and, supported by its inexpressible consolation, he left tiiis earth to live forever in heaven. "

Keports of his observation and studies at the vol- cano were published in the "Aunali dell' osservatorio Vesuviano tlS69-73). Numerous memoirs also ap- peared in the "Rendiconto dell' accademia delle Bcienze fisiche e matematiche di Napoli", and in the "Atti della R. Ace., Napoli". Among his larger works were the following: "Incendio Vesuviano del 26 Aprile 1872" (Naples, 1872; Ger. tr., Berlin. 1872); "ll\esuvio e la sua storia" (Milan, 1880); "Nuove lezioni di fisica sperimentale e di fisica terrestre" (Naples, 1883); "Die Atmospharische Elektrizitat" (tr., Vienna, 1884); "Les lois et les origines de I'^lec- tricite" (tr., Paris, 1885).

Pop. Sc. Miscellany, h (New York. 1896), 430; Ciiilti Cat- totica, series 16. XI (Rome, 1897), 470; Villahi in Rendiconto deW Ace. Napoli, XXXV (Naples, 1896), 236.

William Fox.

Palm in Christian Symbolism. — In pre-Christian

times the palm was regarded as a symbol of victory (Aulas Gellius, "Noct. Alt.", Ill, vi). It was adopted by the early Christians, and became a symbol of the victory of the faithful over the enemies of the soul. The palm, says Origen (In Joan., XXXI), is the symbol of victory in that war waged by the spirit against the flesh. In this sense it was especially ap- plicable to martyrs, the victors par excellence over the spiritual foes of mankind; hence the frequent occur- rence in the Acts of the martyrs of such expressions as "he received the palm of martyrdom." On 10 April, 1688 it was decided by the Congregation of Rites that the palm when found depicted on catacomb tombs was to be regarded as a proof that a martyr had been interred there. Subsequently this opinion was acknowledged by Mabillon, Muratori, Benedict XIV and others to be untenable; further investigation showed that the palm was represented not only on tombs of the post-persecution era, but even on pagan tombs. The general significance of the palm on early Christian monuments is slightly modified according to its association with other .symbols (e. g., with the monogram of Christ, the Fish, the Good Shepherd). On some later monuments the palm was represented merely as an ornament separating two scenes.

Khaus, Heal-Encyklopddie (Freiburg, 1882-86). a. v.; Idem, Gesch. der christt. Kunsts, I (Freiburg. 1896) ; Tybwhitt in Diet. of Christ. AnliipiMes (London, 1875-80). b. v.

Maurice M. Hassett.

Palms, S^-NOD OF. See Symmachus, Saint, Pope.

Palm Sunday, the sixth and last Sunday of Lent ami beginning of Holy ^^'eek, a Sunday of the highest rank, not even a commemoration of any kind being permitted in the Mass. In common law it fixes the commencement of Easter duty. The Roman Missal marks the station at St. John Lateran (see Stations) and before September, 1870, the pope performed the ceremonies there. The Greeks celebrate the day with great solenmity; they call it KvpiaKT] or hpTrj Twii patwv or iopTTi /3oio06pos or also Lazarus Sunday, because on the day before they have the feast of the resuscitation of Lazarus. The emperors used to distribute branches of palm and small presents among their nobles and domestics. The Latin litur- gical books call it Dominica in Palmis, Dominica or Dies Palmarum. From the cry of the people during the procession the day has received the name Domin- ica Hosanna or simply Mosanna (Ozanna). Because every great feast w.as in some way a remembrance of the resurrection of Christ and was in consequence called Pascha, we find the names Pascha Jloridum, in French Pdques fleuries, in Spanish Pascua florida, and it was from this day of 1512 that our State of Florida received its name (Nilles, II, 205). From the custom of also blessing flowers and entwining them among the palms arose the terms Dominica florida and dies

floridus. Flower-Sunday wsis well known in England, in Germany as Blu^mensonntag or lUumcnUig, sis also among the Serbs, Croats, and Ruthenians, in the Cilagolite Breviary and Missal, and among the Arme- nians. The latter celebrate another Palm Sunday on the seventh Sunday after Easter to commemorate" the "Ingressus Domini in ca>lum juxta visionem (Jregorii Illuminatoris" called Secundus floricullux or Sirnnda palmarum dominica (Nilles, II, 519). Since this Sun- day is the beginning of Holy Week, during which sinners were reconciled, it was called Dominica indul- gentice, competentium, and caiiilil(n'iiim from the prac- tice of washing and shaving of the head as a bodily preparation for baptism. During the early centuries of the Church this sacrament was conferred solemnly only in the night of Holy Saturday, the text of the creed had been made known to the catechumens on the preceding Palm Sunday. This practice was fol- lowed in Spain (Isidore, "De off. eccl.", I, 27), in Gaul (P. L., LXXII, 265), and in Milan (Ambrose, Ep. xx). In England the day was called Olive or Branch Sunday, Sallow or Willow, Yew or Blossom Sunday, or Sunday of the Willow Boughs. Since the celebration recalled the solemn entry of Christ into Jerusalem people made use of many quaint and realis- tic representations; thus, a figure of Christ seated on an ass, carved out of wood, was carried in the pro- cession and even brought into the church. Such figures may still be seen in the museums of Basle, Zurich, Munich, and Niirnberg (Kellner, 50).

Id some places in Germany and France it was cus- tomary to strew flowers and green boughs about the cross in the churchyard. After the Passion had been recited at Mass blessed palms were brought and this cross (in consequence sometimes called the Palm cross) was wreathed and decked with them to sym- bolize Christ's victory. In Lower Bavaria boys went about the streets singing the "Pueri Ilebrfforum" and other carols, whence they received the name of Pueribu- ben ("Theologisch-praktische Quartalschrift ", 1892, 81). Sometimes an uncovered crucifix, or the gospel- book, and often the Blessed Sacrament, was carried in procession. In many parts of England a large and beautiful tent was prepared in the churchyard. Two priests accompanied by lights brought the Blessed Sacrament in a beautiful cup or pyx hung in a shrine of open work to this tent. A long-drawn procession with palms and flowers came out of the church and made four stations at the Laics' cemetery north of the church, at the south side, at the west door, and before the church-yard cross, which was then uncovered. At each of these stations Gospels were sung. After the singing of the first Gospel the shrine with the Blessed Sacrament was borne forward. On meeting, all prostrated and kissed the ground. The procession then continued. The door of the church was opened, the priests held up on high the shrine with the Blessed Sacrament, so that all who went in had to go under this shrine, and thus the procession came back into the church. The introduction of the Blessed Sacrament into the Palm Simday procession is generally ascribed to Bl. Lanfranc who ordered the ceremony for his Abbey of Bee.

Liturgical writers differ in assigning a time for the introduction of the benediction of palms and of the procession. Martfene, "De antiq. eccl. discipl.", xx, 288, finds no mention of them before the eighth or ninth century. Peliccia, "Christian, eccl. politia", II, 308, is of the same opinion and mentions Amularius, " De div. off.", I, x, as the first to speak of them. Bin- terim, V, i, 173, on the authority of Severus, Patri- arch of Antioch, and of Josue Stylites, states that Peter, Bishop of Edessa, about 397 ordered the bene- diction of the palms for all the churches of ]Mesopo- tamia. The ceremonies had their origin most prob- ably in Jerusalem. In the "Peregrinatio Sylvise", undertaken between 378 and 394, they are thus de-