I HAVE AN INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR SEEING CHURCH CEREMONIES WHEN THEY ARE CARRIED OUT WITH DIGNITY

Third Sunday of Advent: I have an insatiable appetite for seeing Church ceremonies when they are carried out with dignity. That’s why I gladly returned to the papal chapel. The Sovereign Pontiff did not attend so a Cardinal officiated once more and nothing is more majestic than to see this noble assembly.

Roman Diary 11 December 1825, EO XVII

A week later he was back in St. Peter’s.

This was a memorable day. I went to Saint Peter’s where Archbishop Mazio had me placed in a privileged spot, where I was able to see and hear everything marvellously. First of all, I saw the entire part of Saint Peter’s church from the confession to the far end where Saint Peter’s chair is, held up by four Doctors of the Church, two Latin and two Greek, lit up by a prodigious number of candles, for the day of the beatification of Blessed Angelo d’Acri, priest and Capuchin missionary, whose covered image was hung up at a great height, all surrounded with torches.

Roman Diary 11 December 1825, EO XVII

Describing the beatification ceremony to Fr Tempier:

Here is another of these missionaries beatified; they all have the same method and in ten or twelve days put on a mission for you with all that belongs or goes with it. That gives us courage and hope. I had been assured that the Pope would come down to pray before the newly Blessed and indeed that is what happened. So I had the consolation of being present for the inaugural ceremony for this saint, to whom I commended myself strongly, placing all of you under his protection, as well as the happiness of seeing and contemplating at leisure the Head of the Church. I cannot describe to you the impression made on my soul by the Vicar of Jesus Christ. I looked at him, it is true, with eyes of a lively faith; so I experienced feelings that were certainly not shared by most of the people close to me who only looked out of curiosity. He prayed with great fervour and I quietly united myself to him.

Letter to Henri Tempier in Marseilles, 18 December 1825, EO VII n. 212