A papal coronation was the formal ceremony of the placing of the papal tiara on a newly elected pope. The first recorded papal coronation was of Pope Nicholas I in 858.Kazimierz Dopierała, Księga Papieży, Poznań 1996, p. 104. The most recent was the 1963 coronation of Paul VI, who soon afterwards abandoned the practice of wearing the tiara. To date, none of his successors have used the tiara, and their papal inauguration celebrations have included no coronation ceremony, although any future pope may elect to restore the use of the tiara at any point during his pontificate.
The papal inauguration celebration, with or without a coronation, has only symbolic significance, as a pope assumes office immediately upon accepting his election during the conclave.
In Spanish, the term (English: "Pontifical Coronation") is sometimes used for the canonical coronation of religious images through a formal, expressed Pontifical decree by a reigning pope.
Ritual
On the day of election When a conclave elects a new pope, he assumes all of the rights and authority of the papacy immediately upon his acceptance of election; however, popes traditionally numbered their regnal years from the date of their coronation. If a newly elected pope is not a bishop, he is consecrated at once. In accordance with tradition, the right of consecration belongs to the dean of the College of Cardinals, in his absence to the subdean, and in the absence of both of these to the senior cardinal bishop. If the new pope is already a bishop, as is normally the case, his election is announced immediately to the people gathered in Saint Peter's Square and he gives them his blessing.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, the immantatio, or bestowal of the mantum (a papal vestment consisting of a very long red cope fastened with an elaborate morse) on the newly elected pope was regarded as especially symbolic of investiture with papal authority, and was conferred with the words: "I invest thee with the Roman papacy, that thou rule over the city and the world." This "mantling" with a red cope was first mentioned as an existing custom in 1061, in a letter from Peter Damian to Antipope Cadalus. The garment was associated with the Roman Imperial insignia and the Donation of Constantine. The Archdeacon or Prior of Deacons performed the ceremony immediately after the election, as noted in the 1073 accession of Pope Gregory VII and ordines from 1189 and 1192.
Historically, the Cardinal Camerlengo placed the Ring of the Fisherman on the finger of the new Pope immediately after his election, while requesting for the name that the new pope wished to take. After replying, the pope then removed the ring and handed it to the Master of Ceremonies to be engraved with his name. The ring, first mentioned as a long-standing custom in 1265, is therefore the Papal Ring of Investiture.
Coronation Mass
The coronation took place on the first Sunday or Holy Day following the election. It began with a solemn Papal Mass. During the chanting of Terce, he sat on a throne and all of the cardinals made what was called their "first obeisance" to him, approaching one by one and kissing his hand. Then the archbishops and bishops approached and kissed his feet.
Following this, at least from the beginning of the 16th century, the newly elected pope was carried in state through St. Peter's Basilica on the sedia gestatoria under a white canopy, with the papal flabella (ceremonial fans) to either side. Instead of the papal tiara, he wore a jewelled mitre (the episcopal mitra pretiosa). Three times, the procession was stopped, and a bundle of flax lashed to a gilded staff was burnt before the newly elected pontiff, while a master of ceremonies said: Pater Sancte, sic transit gloria mundi (Holy Father, thus passes the glory of the world) as a symbolic reminder to set aside materialism and vanity. Once at the high altar, he would begin to celebrate Solemn High Mass with full papal ceremonial.
After the Confiteor, the pope was seated on the sedia gestatoria, which was resting on the ground, and the three senior cardinal bishops approached him wearing mitres. Each in turn placed his hands above him and said the prayer, Super electum Pontificem (over the elected pope). First the Cardinal Bishop of Albano said:God, who are present without distinction whenever the devout mind invokes you, be present, we ask you, we and this your servant, __, who to the summit of the apostolic community has been chosen as the judge of your people, infuse with the highest blessings that he experience your gift who has reached this point."Deus qui adesse non delignaris ubicumque devota mente invocaris, adesto quaesumus invocationibus nostris et huic famulo tuo N. quem ad culmen apostolicum commune iudicium tuae plebis elegit ubertatem supernae benedictionis infunde, ut sentiat se tuo munere ad hunc apicem pervenisse." Coronation Rites, Reginald Maxwell Woolley, B.D. (Cambridge: at the University Press, 1915), pp. 160-161.
Then the Cardinal Bishop of Porto said:We supplicate you, Almighty God, effect your customary devotion and pour out on this your servant, __, the grace of the Holy Spirit that he who is constituted at the head of our church as the servant of the mystery, you would strengthen with the fullness of virtue."Supplicationibus, omnipotens Deus, effectum consuetae pietatis impende, et gratia Spiritus Sancti hunc famulum tuum N. perfunde; ut qui in capite ecclesiarum nostrae servitutis mysterio constituitur, tuae virtutis soliditate roboretur." Ibid., p. 161.
Finally the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia said:God, who willed your Apostle Peter to hold first place in the inner fellowship of the apostles, that universal Christianity overcome evil, look propitiously we ask on this your servant, __, who from a humble position has suddenly been enthroned with the apostles on this same principal sublimity, that just as he has been raised to this exalted dignity, so may he likewise merit to accumulate virtue; in bearing the burden of the universal church, help him, make him worthy and for thee who are blessed may merits replace vices."Deus qui Apostolum tuum Petrum inter caeteros coapostolos primatum tenere voluisti, eique universae Christianitatis molem superimpostuisti; respice propitius quaesumus hunc famulum tuum N. quem de humili cathedra violenter sublimatum in thronum eiusdem apostolorum principis sublimamus: ut sicut profectibus tantae dignitatis augetur, ita virtutum meritis cumuletur; quatenus ecclesiasticae universitatis onus, te adiuvante, digne ferat, et a te qui es beatitudo tuorum meritam vicem recipiat." Ibid.
Then, the senior cardinal deacon placed the pallium on his shoulders saying: Accept the pallium, representing the plenitude of the Pontifical office, to the honour of Almighty God, and the most glorious Virgin Mary, his Mother, and the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and the Holy Roman Church.Papal Coronation“Accipe pallium, plenitudinem scilicet pontificalis officii, ad honorem omnipotentis Dei et gloriosissimae Virginis eius genitricis et beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli et sanctae Romanae ecclesiae.”
After the investiture with the pallium, the pope incensed the high altar and then went to the throne, placed on the choir side, between the Altar of the Confession and the Altar of the Chair, and there, during the singing of the Kyrie, he received again the obeisance of the cardinals, archbishops and bishops. Then the Mass continued. After the Gloria in excelsis and the Pax vobis, the pope said the Collect for the day and then secretly a prayer for himself.This prayer is from the form for the Consecration of a bishop. Woolley. p. 163. After the pope had returned again to his seat the litany asking the Saints to pray for the Pope were chanted:
Cantors:Response:Hear, O Christ"Exaudi Christe"Life to our lord, __, decreed by God as Supreme Pontiff and Universal Father”Domino Nostro __ a Deo decreto summo Pontifici et universali Papae vita.”Hear, O ChristLife to our lord, __, decreed by God as Supreme Pontiff and Universal FatherHear, O ChristLife to our lord, __, decreed by God as Supreme Pontiff and Universal FatherSavior of the world"Salvador mundi"Grant him aid."Tu illum adiuva"Savior of the worldGrant him aid.Savior of the worldGrant him aid.Saint Mary"Sancta Maria"Grant him aid.Saint MaryGrant him aid.Saint Michael"Sancte Michael"Grant him aid.Saint Gabriel"Sancte Gabriel"Grant him aid.Saint Raphael"Sancte Raphael"Grant him aid.Saint John the Baptist"Sancte Ioannes Baptista"Grant him aid.Saint Joseph"Sancte Ioseph"Grant him aid.Saint Peter"Sancte Petre"Grant him aid.Saint Paul"Sancte Paule"Grant him aid.Saint Andrew"Sancte Andrea"Grant him aid.Saint James, (the greater)"Sancte Iacobe"Grant him aid.Saint Stephen"Sancte Stephane"Grant him aid.Saint Leo (the great)"Sancte Leo"Grant him aid.Saint Gregory (the great)"Sancte Gregori"Grant him aid.Etc.etc.Christe, eléison"Christ, have mercy"Christe, eléisonKýrie, eléison"Lord, have mercy"Kýrie, eléison
As with all Papal High Masses, the Epistle and the Gospel were read in both GreekThe Greek Epistle and Gospel were traditionally read by a subdeacon and a deacon from the Byzantine monastery of Grottaferrata east of Rome and Latin and the pope communicated at his throne.I.e., the Sacrament was brought to the Pope by the deacon and the subdeacon at his throne and he consumed a portion of the Host and drank from the Chalice by means of a narrow gold or silver-gilt tube called a fistula.
Coronation
After the Mass, the new pope was crowned with the papal tiara. This frequently took place on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, overlooking the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. The pope was seated on a throne with the flabella to either side of him. After the Dean of the College of Cardinals recited a few prayers, including the Lord's Prayer and a collect, the senior cardinal deacon, the protodeacon, removed the pope's mitre and placed the tiara on his head with the words:
Following his coronation, the pope imparted the solemn papal blessing Urbi et Orbi. Following 1929, the new pope would have received a salute by a guard of honour of the Italian Armed Forces and the Swiss Guards together with the Noble Guard, as military bands play the Pontifical Anthem and Il Canto degli Italiani (until 1946 the Marcia Reale and S'hymnu sardu nationale).
Taking possession of the cathedral of Rome
The last act of the inauguration of a new pope was and still is the formal taking possession (possessio) of his cathedra as Bishop of Rome in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. This is the final ceremony mentioned in Pope John Paul II's apostolic constitution on the vacancy of the Apostolic See and the election of the Roman pontiff.Universi Dominici gregis, 92 The Lateran Basilica remains the cathedral of Rome, and the enthronement occurs there.