Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-01
THE EASTERN POPE.
AN AUDIENCE WITH THE PATIsI.
ARCH OF JERUSALEM.
A Court of Glory Outsllinimg tho
Pomp Of Kings The Patri-
nrch's Appcarance-Stran
Court FOrmalitics.

have just had an audience with one
of the highest religious functionarics of
the Oriental world, says'Frank Carpcn-
ter Ill letter from Jerusalem. The Pa
trlarch of Jerusalem has charge of the
Church of the Holy Scpulchrc, and us
the head of the Greek Church in Syria,
Palestine and Arabia he is to his people
the Pope of the East The Greek Church
contains abou. 81, 900, 900 members in
tussia-a number equal to the popula-
tion of the United States. 1t has abou:
5000, 900 i'll Greece and Turkey, and it
Is i'll Jerusalem the most powerful and
the richest church of all the denomina-
lions represented there. There is no
King in the world who appears in such
splcndor upon state occasions rs The
Patriarch of Jerusalem lie wears cloth
oil gold, and his great hat is covered
with magnificent diamonds, eineralds and
rubics. Ills bishops who march with
him have crosses of diamonds hanging TO
their nccks, and their dresses are of gold
and silver brocadc, and the mitre and
other church implements are of solid
gold AL silver. In the treasury of the
Greek Church here there are jewels which
would make the treasury of many pal
ace commonplace, and the rich men and
the Kings OF the world have for genera
tons been giving 10 this collection, think
ing that i'll SO doing they have been buy
ing their way into heaven.
The Patriarch of Jerusalem lives in
one of the biggest and best mansions OF
the Holy City. The American Consul
and myself in going tn il wound in and
ont through narrow vaultcd streets. We
passed through arcadcs, and with the aid
OF the consular cavasscs pushed our way
through the dense crowds of pilgrims,
Bcdonins aud Sylians, which arc filling
the Holy City durin" this holy week.
We went of course in Oriental state,
dressed III our black morning coats, and
preceded by the cavasscs. The ca
vases are the guard of the Consul on
State occasions.
AT the Patriarch's mansion, which in,
deed is only Il big, plain, stone house of
Two stories, we were met hy several
priests i'll long black gowns, which fell in
full folds from their nocils to their feet,
and i'll tall, round, black cups, with capcs
'H'hhS '.phh tiitii liNhS. iltSc
put their hands to their forcl,cads rs we
entered and motioucd us to come in. We
then assembled Il wide stairway 1T the
sides, on which were brass ratings, and
at the top of which stood mere prcs.s
similarly attircd. Here we were taken
into IL great hall where the portraits of
the Patriarchs Of the past looked down
upon us out OF gold frames, and then OH
into second grand salon in which were
number Of Turkish soldiers and church
dignitarics, and at the back of which in
chair of state sat the Patriarch himself
lie rose rs he saw us and moved toward
us. Tall, broad -silouidcred AMI well
formed, he is one OF the finest looki ing
public men | have ever seen.
lie has u magnificent head, we'll set
on Il pair of broad shoulders; large, in
tellec;ual eyes, Il big, straight nose and n
long, pairiarchal beard OF sable silver.
His high forehead was boulcrcd with II
black cap of fine cloth, which rose for
full six inches above il, and from the
back of which fell Il cape of the same
color, forming II striking background to
his strong, intelligent face. He wore 81
long, full gown of some inc sack cloth
and he had two gorgeous gold medals
about his neck, each as big rs the palm
Of your hand, and between these hing
q cross of diamonds. lie met us III the
middle Of the salon, shook hands with
lis and conducted us to divan ut the
right Of his chair of state. We then
chattcd through the interpreter, the lie
CATION addressing him, according to
etiquette, rs ''Your Hlcsscdness.n
There was then some talk about the
Greek Church as to lis extent and doc
tines, and while this WAS going on =
livericd servant brought in Il silver tray
containing Il golden bowl filled with sill
vcr spoons, several glasses Of water, and
two cut-%lass dishes, one of which con-
taincd a brown mixture and The other
was flied vii. preserved oranges cut in
small! slices and floating in 81 molasses-
like syrup. Luckily the tray WAS first
passed TO the Consul, and ! followed suit
in partaking of its dciicaces. Lifting one
OF the silver spoons out of the gold
holder, dipped it into the orange pre-
serves. conveyed some 10 nv mouth and
then dropping the spoon into another
dish reserved for il, tool: sip
OF the water The preserves were
delicious and the water was good.
Then there was Il little more talk about
the Greek Church and Il second servant
came i'll with another tray more gorgeous
than the one preceding. Upon this were
wine glasses filled with liquor The color
of the dark moss rose. IL was favorcl
with peppermint and it had the rich, oily
strength of age. Though scarcely more
than three thimb,cs full, it brought a
pleasing warmth to the whole frame five
minutes after it was drank and tho
doctrines Of the Greek Church fell on my
ear like the poetry of Moore. This
liquor WAS followed few moments late.
BY a third waiter who brought in Turkish
coffee, served in little cups of fine china,
cacii the size of the smallest egg cup
Tine coffee was rs thick rs Vernon.
molasscs. II was sweet and delicious and
was served without cream.
Coffee in Jerusalem is the same rs
champagne in China. After the coffee Is
served the caller can politely terminate
his visit. We slipped the aromatic liquid