Sic transit gloria mundi is a Latin phrase that means "Thus passes the glory of the world". It has been interpreted as "Fame is fleeting." For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

Traditionally, Papal coronations are thrice interrupted by a monk (some say barefoot) holding a pole to which is affixed a burning piece of flax. After it finishes burning, the monk announces, "Pater sancte, sic transit gloria mundi." This is meant to remind the Pope that, despite the grandeur of the ceremony and the long history of the office, he is a mortal man. Pope Pius XII, wearing the 1877 Papal Tiara, is carried through St. ... For other uses, see Monk (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Flax (disambiguation). ...

Modern usage

• Arthur Conan Doyle's short story My Friend the Murderer ends with this phrase.
• The phrase is spoken by the character Bellerose in the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand to comment on the defeat of Valvert by Cyrano.
• The shortened "Sic transit gloria" is spoken multiple times by various characters in the movie Rushmore, culminating in Max Fischer's memorable use of the phrase in his audacious super-play on the Vietnam War.
• In the movie Patton, it is interpreted as "All glory is fleeting."
• It is the name of a song performed by Levi Garrett on his album Blue & Acqua.
• The band Brand New also has a song on their album Deja Entendu named "Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades".
• The Norwegian industrial metal band Red Harvest entitled their fourth album (and the first that was distributed outside of Europe) Sick Transit Gloria Mundi.
• Goldie Hawn's character in Foul Play is named Gloria Mundy. The romantic comedy includes an attempted assassination of the Pope.
• After destroying the world and causing a nuclear winter, the classic personal computer game Command HQ (released in 1990 by Microplay) for the DOS system will terminate unexpectedly and print "Sic transit gloria mundi" to the screen.
• An episode of Babylon 5 is called Sic Transit Vir, Vir Cotto being a character from the show.
• Curiously, for a celebration of their recent marriage, it is held up on a sign in the crowd when Sheridan and Delenn return "home" at the beginning of the last episode of Season Four of Babylon 5.
• In the "Roman Empire" segment of History of the World, Part I, one Roman Senator utters the short form, to which another replies, "I didn't know Gloria was sick!"
• An article in the New York Daily News, about the transport of an ill Gloria Vanderbilt, used the headline "Sick Gloria in Transit: Monday" [1]
• In 1980 the New York Daily News reported a state bailout of the city's subway system. It used the headline "Sick Transit's Glorious Monday".
• Also quoted in the Vincent Price film "Masque of the Red Death" from an original story by Edgar Allan Poe.
• In A Canticle for Leibowitz, as a spaceship constructed by the Catholic Church to flee an oncoming nuclear apocalypse prepares to depart, the last crewman on board says "Sic transit mundus."
• In the unlikely derivations section of BBC radio's "My Word", the phrase is claimed to be a desperate telegram from a stranded and cash-stapped friend asking the recipient to "SEEK TRAINSEAT GLORIA MONDAY"
• Frank Richards, author of "The Magnet" often construed the Latin as "Thus are the mighty fallen."
• Spider Robinson, author of the "Stardance Trilogy" named the ship on which Charlie is departing earth "Gloria Mundi".
• The phrase was scribbled on a note by Charles Ponzi and handed to reporters at his sentencing for fraud.

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859–7 July 1930) was a British author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... This article is about the historical figure. ... Statue dedicated to Edmond Rostand in Cambo-les-Bains Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (April 1, 1868 - December 2, 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. ... Rushmore is a 1998 movie directed by Wes Anderson. ... Patton (UK: Patton: Lust for Glory) is a 1970 epic biographical film which tells the story of General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. ... Levi Garrett is a brand of chewing tobacco popular in the United States. ... For other uses, see Brand New (disambiguation). ... Deja Entendu is the second album from Long Island based band Brand New, released in 2003. ... Alternate cover DVD cover Sic Transit Gloria. ... Red Harvest are a Norwegian industrial metal band. ... Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an Academy Award-winning American actress, director and producer. ... Foul play may refer to: Crime. ... Romantic comedy films are movies with light-hearted, humorous dramatic stories centered around romantic ideals such as a true love able to surmount most obstacles [1] or the perfect couple. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... Sic Transit Vir is an episode from the third season of the science-fiction television series Babylon 5. ... Vir Cotto is a character from the fictional Babylon 5 universe, played on screen by Stephen Furst. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... History of the World, Part I is a 1981 film written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Gloria Vanderbilt, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1958. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A Canticle for Leibowitz is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Walter M. Miller, Jr. ... My Word! was a radio panel show which premiered on the BBC Home Service on January 1, 1957. ... Charles Harold St. ... The Magnet (1908 - 1940) was a United Kingdom weekly comic published by Amalgamated Press. ... Spider Robinson (born November 24, 1948 in New York City) is a Canadian science fiction writer. ... Charles Ponzi (March 3, 1882–January 18, 1949) was an Italian immigrant to the United States who became one of the greatest swindlers in American history. ...

See also

• Memento mori
• Vanitas

Also quoted in the movie Rushmore For other uses, see Memento mori (disambiguation). ... Vanitas, by Pieter Claesz This article is about the fine art genre. ...