CAPPELLA PAPALE. — This name designates those solemn sacred functions—vespers, matins, pontifical Masses, and other sacred ceremonies—which are performed by the Pope in person or with his assistance, or which, in his absence, take place with the same ceremonial as though he were participating in them.
The Sistine Chapel, so called because it was erected by Sisto IV, is now specially and ordinarily assigned to these functions; but on the greater solemnities they take place in the patriarchal basilicas or in other churches in honour of some more highly venerated saint. Such papal chapels may be ordinary, when they take place according to a pre-established calendar, or extraordinary, when they are convoked by papal decree on some special occasion. In both cases the Curia suspends the conduct of business on those days. The papal chapel is composed of the cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops—whether or not assistants at the Pontifical Throne—present in the Curia; the prince assistant at the Throne; the four prelates with the tasselled hats; the assessors and secretaries of the Roman Sacred Congregations; the grand master of the Sacred Hospice; the apostolic protonotaries; the superiors general of the regular religious Orders; the auditors of the Sacred Roman Rota; the clerks of the Apostolic Camera; the voting prelates of the Segnatura; the consistorial advocates; the procurators of the regular Orders and of the Sacred Apostolic Palace; the secret chamberlains and chaplains, etc. The members of the papal chapel receive, through the apostolic cursors, the summons to attend II. In ancient times divine worship with singing was held daily in the papal palace, and on feast days bishops and cardinals celebrated the pontifical Mass according to the solemnity of the day; the members of the household of the palace, those of the cardinals, ambassadors, foreigners, etc., attended II. During Advent and Lent, and on certain solemnities, a sermon was also given in the papal chapel; it was entrusted to religious or ecclesiastics, and sometimes also—especially in the last centuries—to students of the various ecclesiastical colleges. During the nineteenth century the liturgical service in the chapel ceased to be daily and was limited to certain special occasions and solemnities; the sermon is given on the Fridays of Advent and Lent and on Good Friday.