Chapelle Ardente
chapelle ardente
(French: burning chapel ; from the candles surrounding the catafalque )
Chapel or room in which the corpse of a sovereign or dignitary lies in state pending the funeral.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Chapelle Ardente
a peculiar ceremony in the Roman Church in connection with the masses for the dead. The chapelle is a small tent in which the corpse is laid, and is called ardente in allusion to the lights placed round the catafalque. Incense is burned, holy water is sprinkled, prayers are chanted, and absolution is given, ending with requiescat in pace.