The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-06-14
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he business: Six nn12ea from Je
Eoa1sn, on . teSrxctd hillside !.
itnds tordAy the town OF Dsthls J
a4ma 81 sacred writ TIE Ckuxdi ]
of the Nativity, o vary beaatifG |.
md old edifee, and che convsats :
he Greek, LATIN md Armenian
are situsted on the ridge
u tbs hill Each Of the rival COM
has . achspelin ~ church.
of NE Nativity for its owA peculiar
usA The central nave il held by.
them all as tenants in common; and
undernssth this nave u 8 loze1one
grotao, sith 1 recess at ono sxsfem.
ity, which is believed to be the
rnanger where the Savior WAS laid.
OF the two little passages which
lead down to the cave, one Is held
by the Greeks and the other by the
Latins. The Latin monks who
guard the holy places in Palestine
are for the most part Italians or
Spanards. The political center Of
this monastic order 10 ct Rome, the
center ct Madrid. Yet
the Latin clergy, without distincs
tion or nationality, are under the
Jealous protection. Of France.
France would probably not COM
tinus to exert % burdensone q
task, we're in not for the protscto-
rate which Russia extends over the
indigenous monks Of the Greek
Church. The religious fervof
which shows itself 'in pilgrimages
to the Holy Land is Of the most in !
tense kind in Russia. For each
European follower Of the Latin
Church who visits the holy place in
lGalilee and Judea, there are thou
sands Of Russian pilgrims, devout
believers in the Greek faith. From
time to time quarrels bReak ont be
tween the Latin md Greek monks.
Sometime before the Cximean war
q silver cup was secretly carried of
from the Grotto Of the Nativity.
but in. 1861 it was esolemniy rs
placed, owing to the Intervention
of France. The cause Of athe late
most sacrilegious fight in the Grot-
to was . similar insignifcance.
Some years ago the walls and ceil-
ings were hung with an old and
tattered piece of painted canvas, on
which scenes appropriate 70 the
place were depicted, together with
some Latin .emblems, Time with
its ravages bade fair to soon oblit
crate and wear away the piece Of
canvas, which was looked upon by
the Latins as an evidence Of their
higher right to the possession OF
the sanctuary. The Latin monks
wished to repair or renew the
painted cloth; the Greek monks op-
posed / their wish. About four
years ago an accidental FIRE de
stroyed the greater portion Of the
hanging. A great trmult arose,
and the members OF each commun-
ion accused the other Of firing the
sacred place. The Turkish troops
took possession OF the Gro,to, and
negotiations between France and
Turkey we're entered into The
result was that a canvass painted
like the former one, and with the
Latin emblems reproduced, wae
only = few months since hung up
in the cavern in the name of the
Sultan Of Turkey. OF course thii
was : triumph over TIE Greel
monks, who were consequently
greatly irritated. Each party ha.
since kept in and around the sane
tsiary . guard chosen from thei,
most stalwart and powerful monks
whose duty it has been to checl
any attempted act Of impiety, sucl
| as the hanging up Of . piece o
| cloth, or a lantern, or the driving
in Of nail. A few weeks since, il
April, the Greeks lighted q laml
too much, and the Latins displayed
. hanging Of silk in an unauthor.
| ised way. The long restraine,
animosities Of the parties could n,
longer be calmed, and from insult.
they came to open blows, ant
fnaily to . bloody and fatal fight
Arms were freely used, and eleve,
Of the icombatants were killed 8,
dangerously wounded. The com
bat was only stopped BY the arriya
Of Turkish soldiers on the scene 8
slaughter. The lives Of thes,
worthy monks are but Of little con
sequence, but the spectacle of tw,
bodies of Christians who claim th
Same Redeemer Decorating in thi
way the place which they each fe
gard as the hottest Of holies is e.
indeed. It is Ittle wonder chat th
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