Papal Mass their prescribed order of precedence. A thurifer and seven acolytes accompanied the cross-bearer, and the apostolic subdeacon carried the Gospel Book (a function now reserved to a deacon). At the end of the procession the pope was carried into the basilica on the "sedia gestatoria" and with the two "flabella" borne on either side. He was accompanied by an entourage which included the Swiss Guards in their colorful uniforms and members of the Roman nobility in formal court dress. At times, a canopy was carried above his head. Two protonotaries apostolic raised the front of the falda as the pope
Ekaterina Sedia Ekaterina Sedia Ekaterina Sedia (born July 9, 1970) is a Russian fantasy writer. She immigrated to the United States and attended college in New Jersey to obtain her Ph.D. She is best known as a fantasy author. Her most famous work is "The Alchemy of Stone", a steampunk novel that examines sexism and class bigotry. Sedia's other novels include "The Secret History of Moscow", "According to Crow", and "The House of Discarded Dreams". She has also written several short fiction stories, poems, and nonfiction books. Several of her publications have been nominated for awards and/or have made a well-known reading