Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-05-31
The Holy Places.

The old quarrel respecting the rights
OF the Latin and Greek monks at the Holy
Places has been once more revived, and
though final settlement may be reached
there is little hope that such a result will
be accomplished. The memories a~sOcia-
ted with the Holy Places are full of sol
emn interest for every religious mind
and. notwithstanding the efforts of the
Turkish government to preserve peace
on what should be a common meeting
ground for all Christians, angry cOntrO-
vcrsies are constantly arising and not un-
frequently sanguine conflicts. These diff
iiculties have been, too, turned into causes
of rupture between nations, and have led
in our own day to a long and bloody war.
The Holy Places, strictly describe are
group of sacred spots in Palestine, of
which the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,
in Jerusalem, is the center. They are
supposed to comprise the sites of the
chief events of our Lord birth, passion.
death and burial; and the Garden of
Gethsemane, the Last Supper room, the
stable i'm which Christ was born, tie
Church of the Ascension, and the tomb
of the Virgin. The Church of the Sepul-
cher stands within the modern city, in
the Latin quarter. Under the great dome
is the Sepulcher, which is Of OblOng form.
1t is surmOunted by rich ceiling, decOra-
ted with gold. silver and precious marble.
A circular hall surrounds the place be-
meath the dome, with which are connected
Oratories for Syrians, COpts and MarOn-
ties. In the body of the church are sep
arate places of worship for the Latin.
Greek and Armenian Christians. OppO-
site the entrance is the Stone of UnctiOn.
which is shown as the stone on which our
Lords body was annOinted before entOmb-
ment; and above is an elevation. ap-
preached by steps, the traditional Mount
Calvary, on which now stands rich
dome-shaped building, floOred with
splendid marble, in the crypt of which is
the cavity supposed to have been formed
by the erection of the cross. Numberless
pilgrims from all parts of the world are
constantly visiting Jerusalem to do hOm
age at these sacred spots. The Ottoman
authorities maintain the establishments
but the French and Russian government:
exercise an exceptional control respec
lively over the Latin and Greek churche.
and converts.
| Bethlehem, the place of Christ's an(
King David's birth, where the latest con
fiict has taken place, is wholly populated
by Latins, Greeks and Armenians. Sur
rounding are the familiar scenes so fire
quently mentioned in the Bible. Tn
Catholic monastery, the only public build
ing of any importance, encloses the cav
which is the alleged place of our Lady
nativity. The convent resembles for
tress, and was built by the Empires
Helena over fifteen centuries ago; it wa
destroyed by the Turks in 1896. and, it |
supposed, was restored by the Crusaders
Within it is the Church of the Nativity
which like and in connection with tn
Church Of the Holy Sepulclrtr of Jerusa
lem, is subdivided among Latins. Greek
and Armenians. Each community has
separate portion of the edifice for devo
tiOnal purposes. The church is in tn
form of a cross. The nave, by far the fl
| est portion of the building, is supporte
by yfdxty-eight COrinthian columns OF soil
iHanjte. The other portions are walle
H6l4 forms the heau {
,1,.v,