Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-15
A STRANGE FUNERAL.
Burial of abe Greek Patriarch OF
jerusalem.

A clergyman. writing from Jerusalem
to the New York Christian Ad0Ocate
says: ~
"On Friday, June %, l saw the
strangest sight | ever witnessed in my
| life in the funeral of the Greek Patriarch,
OreOtheus, as nearly as can spell his
name. 1t was great funeral, as he was
a great man, being second greatest Greek
Patriarch in the world, and second to
none in spiritual authority. In a civil
sense the Patriarch of Constautinople is
greater.
The Patriarch was injured by falling
| from his horse, and died after lingering
| for about two or three weeks. Seeing
so many people passing to and from the
Constantine Church of the Greek Con.
vent, we went to see what was the
matter. We found the deceased Pa
triarch, clothed in the robes of his office.
silk and gold richly embroidered, seated
upon throne facing the altar. Although
he was only 65 years of age, he looked
very venerable with his long flowing
gray beard. He had a golden crown
upon his head, with enameled settings
on four sides, representing the Virgin,
the nativity, the resur ection and ascen-
sion, and surmounted by an elegant
diamond cross. His breast was
covered with golden crosses and
precious stones. He had a crozier or
sceptre of gold and silver leaning
against the throne, while in his right
hand was Testament, and in his left a
picture of the Virgin and Child. Be
hind the throne was standing priest
reading continuously in Greek appro-
pirate passages for the dead. And from
early morning till 5 o'clock in the eve.
ming a perfect stream of people were
passing back and forth, who would
kneel, kiss the Patriarchs hand, then
the Testament which he held in 1t, an
afterwards cross themselves and pass
out. he was quite a rich man before he
became Patriarch, his fortune being
10000 Napoleons. This fortune he d.
vided among the poor, the Church, and
his sister. He was buried the same day
he died. and the funeral was quite a
novel affair. Just before the funeral a
motley crowd of Turks, Arabs,
Bedouins, Nubians, Jews, and rep
resentatives of almost every ma
ton, in almost every imagin able
costume, gathered on Mount Zion. First
in the procession came band of clario
nets, then band of brass instruments,
playing what l would consider a lively
air, and not the least novel was an enor
nous bass drum. Following the band
were quite a number of students, with
very long hair, who were preparing for
the priesthood; then came the ordained
priests, then the Bishops dressed in ele-
CANT clOaks. All, except the soldiers who
| followed, carried candles draped with
black Grape. After the soldiers came
the Janissaries of all the ConsuIs, and of
the different converts, in what seemed to
me very wild costumes, something
like our American Indians. Then came
Bishops bearing a kind of lanterns,
and crosses of silver and gold. An old
man, in very gorgeous dress, who, as
was informed, was next to the patriarch
himself, was bearing the deceased patri
arch's silver and gold sceptre. Then
came the body in full dress as l had
seen it in the morning, with the crown
on his head, and seated on his throne, as
if he were alive. The procession made
strange impression upon my mind, as
l watched it slowly move towards the
Zion gate. and listened to the weird
chanting of the priests. He was buried
in sitting posture, along with about
two bushels of incense and myrrh."