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Sic transit gloria mundi is a Latin phrase that means "Thus passes the worldly glory." In idiomatic contexts, the phrase has been used to mean "fame is fleeting".[1][2]
The phrase was used in the ritual of papal coronation ceremonies between 1409 (when it was used at the coronation of Alexander V)[3] and 1963. As the newly chosen Pope proceeded from the sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica in his sedia gestatoria, the procession stopped three times. On each occasion, a papal master of ceremonies would fall to his knees before the Pope, holding a silver or brass reed, bearing a tow of smoldering flax. For three times in succession, as the cloth burned away, he would say in a loud and mournful voice, "Pater Sancte, sic transit gloria mundi!" ("Holy Father, so passes worldly glory!").[4] These words, thus addressed to the Pope, served as a reminder of the transitory nature of life and earthly honours.[5][6][7]
A form of the phrase appeared in Thomas à Kempis's 1418 work The Imitation of Christ: "O quam cito transit gloria mundi" ("How quickly the glory of the world passes away").[8][9]
- ^ Merton, Sophia (2022-10-07). "'Sic Transit Gloria Mundi': Definition, Meaning, and Examples". Writing Tips. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ "30 Latin Phrases Everyone Should Know – Page 6 – 24/7 Wall St". Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Phraseandfablewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Papal Coronation 07 -Sic transit gloria mundi" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ King, William Henry Francis (1904), Classical and Foreign Quotations, London: J. Whitaker & Sons, p. 319, retrieved November 10, 2010
- ^ Richardson, Carol M. (2009), Reclaiming Rome: cardinals in the fifteenth century, BRILL, p. 393, ISBN 978-9004171831, retrieved November 10, 2010
- ^ Bak, János M. (January 1990), Coronations: medieval and early modern monarchic ritual, University of California Press, p. 187, ISBN 9780520066779, retrieved November 10, 2010
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (via Oxford Reference)
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
kempiswas invoked but never defined (see the help page).