The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-18


spontaneous evoiutions Of the mind.
How many times during my stay in Russia, have
been struck with the emptiness OF that mass OF ior
orthodox church, Buried in the sacred books, as In
a walled metropolis the dogmas OF religion never
leave their resting place to beam upon the people.
Are not the priests prohibited from making them TOO
frequently the object Of their sermons, lest they
should detract aught from their purity They keep
watch over them like the dragon OF the fable with
out understanding themselves, Their Beauty or their
value.
true but thew are nothing but isolated compilations
and falsifed extracts the fruit OF solitary AMI I'M
assisted labor without credit among the clergy or in
has learned that God is God and the Gear his pro.
phet his religious education is complete. To MAIN
tain him in the ways Of morality they trust to an in
stinctive naturalism, as innate in heather as in
disciple Of Christ
And now let us cast glance upon what we may
cal the gymnastics of the Russian faiththe images
the reoicings, the fasts the pretended miracles Of
orthodox saints, convent life, &c.
plement Of all popular reiocings Not only the lords
do not dissuade their sers from it, but they even urge
them to immoderate drinking "Why should we,"
they say deprive these poor people q 50 great an
in this with admirable success; for of all the rights
it might have arrogated to itself as their lords, it
has only reserve that Of establishing taverns What
ns the % s sU1 the sssn
they have lost Their reason! And how could the Rus
sian people do otherwise than getintoxcated? Is not
drunkenness sanctioned In their eyes By the example
Of the priests, their natural models. have known
parish, whose name l could cite, where the inhabit
ants were in the habit Of shutting up their PASTOR
under lock and key every Saturday night that they
might be sure he would have clear head and
steady limbs for the celebration of mass on Sunday.
1t s true they did not allow for the bottle which he
at times succeeded in c0ncealing under his dress.
Such q tendency as this on the part OF the Russian
clergy proceeds, aside from personal passion from
their peculiar ritual habits and from the popular
customs In France and in other Catholic countries,
the church ia pretty nearly the only place open to
what l may perhaps call official prayer Not SO in
Russia Any one is free at will to transform his
parlor or bed room into chapel, and to invite the
clergyman Of his parish to 0ficiate there. This is
called saying lie Deum. The Russian lords are
very lavish Of this kind Of ceremony. On the occasion
Of every important event in their family they send
for the priests they summon them, too, when they
set out upon or return from any journey. Then all
the household of the nobleman come together in
room, where table covered with a white cloth
serves as an altar, and then they have the same
songs, the same genuiectons the same signs Of the
cross as in the church. | am not prepared to say
whether the Russian religion gains much from being
thus peddled about from house to house; what is
certain however, is, that the sobriety of its minis
tiers rarely riumphs over the danger which it meets;
for after the domestic celebration they eat and drink
and as it frequently happens that the same priest
ociates several times in different families, j. is easy
his last 1c Deum.
have often been witness Of this singular man.
ner Of implOring the blessing Of heaven but it is as
Easter approaches that the spectacle becomes most
curious AT this period they no longer wait till their
ministry is requested they go forward of them
selves TO their parishioners. Not only do they in
wade the palaces of the mobiles, but even the most
humble isba, or hut cannot escape their zeal. The
peasant, who sooner or later requires their assist
ance, takes advantage Of the opportunity thus af
forded him to gain their good will; they suppose for
Instance that they will be easy to deal with in
the matter Of matrimonial indulgences in proportion
as they have retained an agreeable recollection OF
their visit and reception.
The priests, then, everywhere find an open table;
brandy flows in prouson in honor OF them, and each
om & 10 % from fee bnt tbaN %ep w. their
way, singing. eating, drinking; finally, when night
sets in they return home stated with food heated with
drink, and the most holy OF mysteries terminate as
the silest of orgies.
Still, when the Russian priest is not under the in
fuence OF liquor be offers type OF majestic so
lemnity-that long beard flowing down upon his
breast the long hair never touched by the Scissors
give him an air of Christ Of an imposing character
Add to this toga Of very ample dimensions, high
fur cap, forming a diadem, respectable pastoral
baton and you wall have an idea OF the impression
which the Russian priest Cor pope, as he is called)
might produce the masses il his moral state were
only in keeping with outward appearance.
Another feature. and of painful character,
to be noticed in the physiognomy Of the minister
drink, is an insgDfcance Of expression surprising
anything that can be imagined. The Catholic priest,
however little favored by nature, either il pom. OF
physical appearance or Intelligence, always bears
about him sort of mysterious refieXion, showing a
consciousness Of his superhuman mission. But no
thing Of the kind is to be observed in the Russian
pope. The pontff of dead faith he offers its cold
dumb image. five except few members Of the
high clergy, who all belong to the order of the
onks, few friars who never leave their closter,
the Russian priests are, in general completely devoid
OF instruction
Placed at an early age in seminary, they learn
the Sclayonc tongue, singing, the art of the ortho
dOx sign Of the and all the ynnastc OF the
liturgy; as for theology and logic they scarcely
touch upon their first rudiments. But there are no
controversies. Who in Russia would dare to argue
even in a seminary? The most important litigated
points between the Latin Church and the Greek
Church, are not submitted to their examination.
These scarcely allowed the most intelligent
minds and is less among the priests than few de-
you mobiles that anything like intelligent reasoning
on these subjects is TO be sought for
Is there not too, something singularly anomalous
to our Catholic idea at least, in the thought of fore
ing priest to turn soldier and yet this is but the
simple application Of the ecclesiastical code Of Rus
sia According TO that code the sacrament Of the
order does not impress apon its recipient an indei
bic character The priest is free to shake off as
as pleases him. the yoke Of his VOWS and to return
to civil life; few trivial ceremonies alone are neces-
sary. A criminal condemnation sufices to make
him lose, spiritually and temporarily, the virtue Of
his conservation. But what VIII appear still more
strange is that, while in the Latin church the sacra
ment Of the order necessary excludes marriage, in
this church the contrary, marriage is its indspen-
sable corollary and inseparable concomitant.
Hence, no individual can be ordained in Russia,
unless he have previously married. and the better to
indicate that marriage the essential basis Of priest
hood-the priest only preserves his functions, and
consequently his sacred character, during the life
time OF his WIFE If she dies he is prohibited from
marrying second time the Russian church not ad-
hitting priest the husband Of two wives; 50 that
the only resource left the unhappy widower is either
to become monk, or formally 70 re-euter civil life
That is indeed sad institution, which makes so i'm
portant principle the sacerdota character subor-
dinate TO natural event which no one can control
and which exposes itself to driving from his vocation
a man. it may be still young, whose only crime has
been to survive his wife. Saint Paul would perhaps
be greatly surprised at this Interpretation Of the pas
sage in his epistle to Timothy, A bishop then must
be bameless, the husband Of one wife, = &c. II is
true that be would be scarcely less 50 were he to seek
In the Russian priest for those other qualities which