At the end of the litanies, the Pope (if His Holiness were not present at the preceding ceremonies) enters the chapel, wearing a white cope and a mitre; at the foot of the altar he repeals as usual the beginning of the mass with the Card.  Celebrant at His left hand:  in the meantime the choir sings solemnly the Kyrie eleison etc. (as there is no Introit of the Mass, because the people were assembled in the church previously):  the Pope goes to His throne, and receives the usual ubbidienza; and the other customary ceremonies of high mass in the papal chapel take place (see p. 19 and foll.) with such exceptions as we shall now mention.  As soon as the Celebrant commences the Gloria in excelsis, the veil is removed from the tapestry over the altar; which represents Christ rising from the dead[123], the cannons of S. Angelo are discharged, the arms are no longer reversed and the bells of the city are tolled, to announce to its faithful inhabitants the resurrection of their Divine Lord.

[Sidenote:  Alleluja.]

After the epistle, sung as usual by the subdeacon, another subdeacon (Uditore di Rota) wearing a white tonacella or tunic announces at the foot of the throne the joyful tidings to His Holiness[124] by chanting aloud; “Pater sancte, annuntio vobis gaudium magnum, quod est, Alleluja”:  having then kissed the Pope’s foot he returns into the sacristy.  This word of joy[125] Alleluja, (praise God) which had not been once uttered during the long season of mourning which preceded this solemnity, is now sung thrice by the Celebrant, gradually raising his voice to a higher tone.  The choir reechoes it each time, singing it in contrapunto, and then chants the verse Confitemini, and the tract, which is ordinarily recited in penitential times.  Throughout the mass the joy of the church is incomplete; for though Christ has risen from the dead, He has not yet appeared to His disciples, and the light of faith is still overclouded, as Alcuin remarks:  hence lights are not carried at the gospel; the Creed, offertory, motetto and Agnus Dei are omitted, and the kiss of peace is not given[126].  Merati adds to the cause already assigned the wish to abridge service; particularly on account of the newly-baptised children, who communicated at this mass; and the unusual shortness of the Vespers confirms this opinion.

[Sidenote:  End of the mass.]

After the Celebrant has communicated, Vespers are sung by the choir, in place of the communion and postcommunion.  They consist of the anthem Alleluja repeated three times before and after the short psalm Laudate Dominion omnes gentes etc.; of the anthem Vesper autem sabbati, which the Celebrant commences and the choir continues; of the Magnificat[127] and in fine of the prayer which is chanted by the Card.  Celebrant.  While the anthem before the Magnificat is sung,