The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15

At first the time most commonly de-
| voted to fasting was the forty-four pc
ing which the Saviour lay in the sepul-
cher. 1t was well on toward the close
of the second century before positive
| laws We're promulgated as to the season
and duration of the annual feast. But
| gradually the forty hours heightened
out to forty days. called the 'quadrage-
sima. Even in this there was no uni
| formity, for in some countries the time
| Of fasting lasted but three weeks, in
J others seven. The fasts of the Greek
| Christians were much more rigorous than
| those of the Latin The four Ember sea-
sons were with them real Lenten peri
DDS; one as preparation for Christmas;
the second corresponding to our Lent;
the third in commemoration of the Apos-
Ties beginning the week following Pente-
cost until the feast of Saints Peter and
Paul The fourth commenced on Aug.
LIST, and ended on the 18th, a preparation
for the feast of the Assumption. Able
Bertrand cites the fasts of the Armeni-
ans as being even more rigorous than
those of the Greeks Their great Lenten
fast lasted seven weeks.
In the early days of Christianity, wine
was as much a prohibited article during
Lent as meat In holy week the only
permitted food was bread and salt-in
some countries vegetables were allowed.
In the sixth century, the council of Or
leans made it obligatory on every Chris
tan to abs tain from meat during the
Quadragesima.
Even after the time of the year and
the duration of the fasting season had
been settled by councils, there were still
Amany variations in different countries,
IN the rigor with which It was observed.
pline of Lent in those times, when such
solaces as tea, coffee, tobacco and other
necessaries of more modern days were
cheese milk and butter-the very sta
pies on which the modern observer now
depends. Eggs were also prohibited. AT
ter the forty-days' abstinence from this
faVorite article of food it was the custom
as a compensation, in the reign of Louis
XIV. to raise in the cabinet of the king on
Easter Monday enormous pyramids of
painted and gilded eggs, which were pre-
sented by his majesty to the courtiers.
The greatest innovations in the Lente
fast began in the ninth century, when
many of the faithful were permitted to
shorten the hours of abstinence. In the
latter half of the present. century, to
meet the exigencies of modern life the
power of dispensation from fasting has
been broadly and literally exercised by
the clergy. Finally. the indult just grant
their families gives the coup de grace to
the Lenten fast.
While recognizing the necessity of al
leviating the burden borne by the work
ing people of the American fold the
pope earnestly exhorts "all who avail
themselves Of this indult to perform
some other act Of modification. such
as abstinence from intoxicating liquors.
The religious exercises of Lent, the va
rious devotions of the week, the Lenten
sermons, are as important feature to
of France. Many of the most eloquent
sermons of Bossuet, Bourdalone and
Massllon were delivered before the king
and his court in the penitential season.
Louis XIV gave the most efficacious
kind of encouragement to pulpit elo-
quence-that of personal attendance.
day were allowed the utmost license in
portraying and condemning the vices
of the court generally, they were not
permitted to make their sermons per-
sonally applicable to the king. All this
however, was changed by the time
Louis Napoleon came to the throne of
France. Through the influence of the
Empress Eugenie always a devout Cath
Ole Of the Spanish type, Lenten services
were strictly observed at the Tuilleries.
On one occasion Father Ravignan, the
eloquent Jesuit, preacher in ordinary to
the emperor, wound stirring exhortation
to prayer and penance by personally ad-
press, was seated in front of the altar in
the chapel OF the Tuilleries. do not be-
lieve, sir, that the earthly crown encircling
your brow will assure you an eternal one.
In one corner of our own enlightened
country there are yet to be seen traces
of the old Lenten penances of the fiagel-
lants of the middle ages, in the "Peni-
tentes' of New Mexico. At this period Of
the nineteenth century, these Penitentes
are a secret organization under the ban of
church and state.
On Good Friday, they submit to the most
barbarous corporal punishment from each
other believing thereby they atone for
the sins of the past year and trusting fo
live to see another holy week, when the
sins of the coming year may again be ex-
plated in the same manner No idea Of
reform ever enters into the calculations
of penitente Expiation of past offenses
is what he is suffering for, and will con-
tinue to suffer for. each successive Good
Friday while life lasts. With the dawn Of |
Easter he Is ready to return to his evil |
course, believing that his crimes Of the
past year have been wiped away.