, 1880-05-30

EASTER SUNDAY CEREMONIES AT TIE
PATR1AEcuATE Of coNsTANT1SoPLE.
Correspondence London Tanes-
The so~cailed Greek Easter, which began
Yesterday morning, Is time of great re-
jering for the Eastern orthodox world.
From the Gulf Of Finland to the banks Of the
Nile, and from the shores of the Adriatic to
the frontiers Of Persia, the Christian popu-
lato1l-Russians, Roumanians, Bulgarlans,
Serbs, Greeks, Armenians, Syrians, and
-scropulously abstain during several
uays from their ordinary worldly occupa-
tiops, and commemorate, each in his own
peculiar way, the great event which forms
the basis Of their common religion. Through
, cut the whole Of that vast region, wherever
there is an orthodox church or chapel, the
faithful. after having tasted and confessed
their sins assemble on Saturday night and
await the announcement Of the glad tidings
Precisely at midnight the cry is raised, " lie
is risen!'' and at once, with singing and
chanting, bell-ringing and noisy demon
STATIONS, the people loudly express their
toy., their gratitude, and their hopes OF
eternal salvation. In different localities the
details vary according to the typographical
and political conditions. At Moscow, for ex-
ample. in the great square Of the kremlln,
when the bells of the " forty times forty -
churches send forth simultaneously their
merry peal, thousands Of tapers are suddenly
lighted. and as the procession Of priests Ill
full canonicals issues from the cathedral the
melodious chanting Of the choristers is
drowned by the thunder Of artillery. Here,
in Constantinople, there is no such grand,
impressive scene, for the orthodox have no
great cathedral with spacious square in front,
and the Nussulman authorities reserve the
bg guns for their own religious ceremonies;
but the bells are tolled, the hymns arec chant
ed, and the part Of artillery is played by pis-
to1s and crackers. In every town and village
Of the Empire where there is Christian pop
ulation some demonstration Of the klnu IS
made. For few hours the ordinary 1eal-
ousies and hatreus of the rival Christian ma
tonalties are forgotten, and perfect unanttnl-
tyof thought and feeling reiens III the East
The venerable centre of this great section
Of Christendom is the Patriarchate of Con,
stantlnople, situated In the quarter called
fhanar," on the southern bank OF the
oldsn Sos Horn The pat5iarchate i n9a as y
ne me- Fast for the Patriarch has not the pre-,
tension to be Christ's vicar upon earth, and
aees n9tprotess to be the infallible exponent
81 p;'ssaan Snf1saan doctrine. lie is among the
i,.sls rIsnGps onya primus inter pares, and ms
}a1Sa'lehm, }r1rt'as extending nowhere beyond the
tau!AHefs ta.!Nls OF the Ottoman Empire, is terri
tHat tHpatally limited within those frontiers by
iiae " ms tellow-Patriarchs of Antioch,
Jerusalem, and Alexandria, Even over this
hesan hstr1c!ea area his power has no prospect Ut
M together With that Of The Sultan, for each
ft4as.a. fltsuan nationality, as it gets rid OF the
v}noMan yoke, throws off the spiritual al-
to,,a,'y ttnut.y q Constantinople, and becomes nu-
nnl;t; lVnoas IN the ecclesiastical as well as the
Rsl;ueai sense Of the term. Still all Eastern
ffaularchal See Of Constuntinople us the era
hn, y. uef faith, and fondly cherish the
t 1oE l9at one day the city will be cleanSed
NIL Mon. Mussulman abomlnation, and High
naisf;c asS according to the Eastern rite will be
dtd % Of St Sophia, ~
.os.ul sur1ous u 70 see how Easter Sunday is OBJ
eel'ea In the ancient citadel Of Eastern or
nsd moddoxy while still under Mussulman rule, I
da. daus E arrangements q last week to spend the
descedae,+ s Ill e p9anar quarter with an eminent
~ %es In company with this gentleman start
Sin Miuom Pera at an early hour and drove III the
w. nelaon *lNn q Stanboul Crossing the bridge
hs;das gs ne ,o1ten-described karakeui or Ga!ata
rs r. 1ut ne one higher upe had beiore
st,,.a ~ land on which Old Byzantiunl stood,
e;ttnIng e;nSEnIng from the walls of HeTaclius On the
pe1 Tpgnt tq what is now known as Seraglio
AVAIL u,Ia- II shows now but few traces OF its
ancient splendor. ST. Sophia III the distance,
na q lew minor churches transformed into
thosq9es, tho G, and right before US, rising against
;aa.S e Sky line, the colossal remains Of Justin
- tIs Is vladuct, were all that we could perceive
erads ~ 1dszantlne za antiquities The slope is coy
h"naaN 1u with miserable tu,nbledown Turkish!
houses, rising in successive terraces and
A. thaowned By series of mosques on the top OF
dsaaaage T ndge For the political economist it is
eerPIessinss Expressing sight, for everywhere it presui,ts
sn!l ssnst!aences Of sQualor and decay; but for the
Ts Tu1 It Is by no means devoid Of charm.
~ rjasle e, IS ricll nellowness of color Ill tile
w. S,a tiled roofs, lit up by the morning sun
61s1 6ka1 and imbedded in foliage showing the
1ns.. nnse lender tints Of spring, while the bl$
rrrosQqes, with their lead-covered doiieS and
masul ssaceiul pointed ninarets, have a look OF
faots fatss1ee grandeur. which conceals the de-
ground for ' the tI,lr nict,,re |*1 We have pro
1son sess Of Armenian halIln,als.-sturuy, olive
fSe!Mplexioned. handsome '' SONS OF Halk,' Ill
ss.niRgnt-colored holiday attire and Doistcrn,1s
aoloay Aumor. dancing and gestienlating,