New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-03
THE STORY OF ToLsToI.
HOW THE NovEL1sTs COUSIN BECAME
A PRIEST.

THE RUSSIAN PRIESTS ON A LEVEL WITH ME-
N1A1s-rHE SYMBOLS ATTITUDE TOWARD
ALL RELIGIONS EXCEPT ITS OWN.
Count I.vof Tolstoi and his works enjoy such
an ertensive celebrity In the United states that
IN. c.h,e dispatches from Europe last week an
nouncinr the decision Of the Holy SYNOD al 81
Petersburg to excommunicate the Famous au-
thor. will doubtless have given rise to some
alarm among his American admirers since ex-
communication In Russia is usually attended py
confscation of property loss Of civil rights I'M
prisonment and deportation TO Siberia IL 10 ho''
however. Count Lyof Tolstoi. the writer VINO mas
incurred the wrath Of the ecclesiastical authori-
ties of the Muscovite Empire. but Nicholas Io'-
stoi. the priest who is only q distant cousin OF
the former. The only point Of analogy between
the two Is that they possess In very hiarAeu
degree that strange tendency to brooding ana
introspection, which Is so striking cnarac'eris-
tic Of the Russians. Whereas the thoughts oi
the author are concentrated on social questiohs'
those Of his cousin are absorbed oy re"si'us
matters. 1t Is for two offences, which In RUSSIA
are regarded as heinous not only by the clergy
but also by the laity. that Nicholas Toistoi Is
about to be subjected to the ban OF the Church.
In the first place, he has been guilty of apos-
tasy while. as II that nfraction OF laws spiritual
as we'll as temporal were not sufficient ne mas
actually embarked upon a propaganda OF prose-
lvtisn, in behalf OF the Roman Catholic Church.
TO which he was converted two years ago by no
less a parsonage than the Holy Father himself.
son Of that Count Tolstoi who is one of the
heads of the Department of Foreign Affairs at
81. Petersburg and a nephew of Alexander Toll
stoi, who for many years presided over the
household Of the Cars granduncle. Michael
Nicolaewitch, young Nicholas may be said 10
have enjoyed from his earliest age every ad-
vantage that the fortune. the birth. the of1icai
rank and the court influence OF those hearesr
and dearest to him could place at his command
He was educated at the expense OF the late EN-
peror along with other young nODlemen at the
so-called College of Pages. at ST. Petersburg
and on being graduated, received in accordance
with the usual custom, commission as omcer
in one Of the cavalry regiments of the GUARDS.
This honor he declined. to the establishment of
the monarch and TO the dismay OF his relatives
and obtained His Majesty's permission to per-
form his term Of obligatory military service as
mere private in an ordinary line regiment sta
toned in one of the Polish provinces AS soon
"a he obtained his discharge he entered the
ecclesiastical academy at Moscow and began his
studies for the priesthood In order to appre-
ciate the sensation caused by this course II Is
necessary to point out that In Russia the priest
hood occupy a very low place in the social scale.
They are. generally speaking. ignorant and IN
temperate and are treated with contempt ana
derision. In nearly all the popular comic stories
and plays It is always the priest who Is held up
10 ridicule and who is the butt Of all merri-
ment. Even those attached to the households OF
rich men and of mobiles In the capacity OF chap
lains rank with mere menials. and for mobiles to
Join their ranks is exceedingly rare.
Immediately on being ordained he accepted
the titular appointment of chaplain to his rela-
tive, Prince Urusoff. and thereupon embarked
upon a series Of long voyages to the Holy Land
India, Persia China. and even Thibet. during
the course Of which he conceived the colossal
scheme Of enecting a union between all the
churches of the world, convinced in his own
mind that not only the various sects of Christi
anity, but also Confucfnr1ism, Buddhism. Ma
hometansm and Judaism had derived the in
SEPARATIONS Of their religious teachings from a
common source On his return to Europe he made
his way to Rome. where he was presented to
Leo XIII. who was greatly interested in his
project The Pope himself made him acquainted
With the learned Benedictine monk Caluno, and
with the Vanutes. and it was through them
that the young Russian soon afterward pub
lished in the principal newspaper organ OF the
of a reunion between the Roman Catholic
Church and that known as the Orthodox.
As soon as this became known in st. Peters
burg NJ Pobiedonotsoff. the Procurator Of the
Holy Synod, Immediately addressed communi
cation to the Count commanding his immediate
return to Russia, to which, however. Tolstoi
replied that he had no intention of leaving the
Eternal City until he had accomplished there
the mission confded to him by the Almighty
To what extent he enjoyed the favor of the
Holy Father. who has never made any secret
OF his earnest wish to illustrate his Pontihcate
by a restoration Of the union between the Greek
and the Latin rites may be gathered from the
fact that he actually permitted him to cele-
brate Orthodox mass in the Catacombs OF ST
Sebastian. and to administer to those who at
tended II not only the bread. but also the
wine of the Holy Sacrament. just as in the days
of the Apostles.
THE MASS IN THE cATAcoMBs.
It was remarkable service. that mass OF
Father Tolstoi In the Catacombs, the first OF the
kind that had been celebrated there since the
davs of the early Christians. long before the
.cb,sm between the Latin and Greek rites had
taken place. large congregation, composed
~ neople of various natonalites. was present,
Including number of Russians. and before
bringing II to a cohclusion the young priest. who
was CARRIED in his Muscovite vestments. offered
I'D prayers for Leo XIII. as the most august
and highest ecclesiastical authority on earth
coupling his name with that Of the car as that
OF the mightiest temporal ruler Of the uni
verse. and imploring Providence TO bring about
the reunion Of the two Sster churches.
The next step was the conversion Of Father
ro]stoi to the Church Of Rome, and his ordina-
ton as a priest Of the latter. He was even APP
o,nted TO the honorary Office Of domestic preate
and chaplain. with the title Of Monsgnor. 10y
the venerable pontif. who looked upon this fair
haired. blue-eyeI. young enthusiast as destined
N become O valuable instrument. both 10y reason