The National tribune., 1901-04-04
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vanity are to him as they are to us, but
cross the bridge into Mexico, to the little
city on the other side, and how the aspect
is changed. The Mexieans build their
houses differently, they dress differently,
make love differently and bury their dead
differently. The expression of human
life is completely changed, although it
must rest on much the same hopes, be-
liefs. sorrows and joys.
Juarez, the city across the Rio Grande
from Ei Paso, is particularly interesting
during Holy Week, and on Good Friday
its little white cathedral is the scene of
an extremely piteous and Hfe-like scene
when, In clumsy, realistic and devout
way the scene of Calvary is remembered.
Good Friday must be a day of tense
meaning to anyone who stops to think,
but in the old Juarez cathedral there is
added to the stately and significant cere-
monies of the Roman Church, the pc
culiar variation that the Mexican gives t.
the ceremonies. 1t is a co-mingling of
the ancient Aztec, the conquering Span
lard and the Roman Church. When the
Spaniards brought the Cross to Mexico
and set it up for the Axecs to worship,
they did not succeed in entirely supplant-
ing the old gods and ceremonies. The ma
tiTes accepted part of the new and held
tightly to some of the old. This must
be the history of every religion, that it is
modified by its followers as well as modi-
heS them. There is something of the old
Aztec in the modern Mexican, although
he Is usually also deyout Catholic These
same people who kneel so submissiyeiy
and prayerfully to kiss the feet of the
Christ image also light the mountain tops
on certain nights in September with the
hope that Montezuma, the Aztec cooking.
wil come second time to the land, bring
ing splendor and glory for its peoples.
To light his way the mountain tons are
set blazing with big fires.
The Good Friday scenes in the Juarez
Church are such as are not seen in tb,.
Catholic Churches across the river In
Uncle Sans land. They are entirely un-
American. One cannot but be reverent,
Tor while there are contrasts rude enough.
crude, mskeshift pomp that might be alb
surd, lfe-siZed figure OF Christ, blood
stained, and with limbs bent in agony, is
laid on bier in the center of the church.
and solemnizes everything.
The Christ figure is covered, but not
concealed, by white cloth, which is lift |
60 from time to time as bIack-robed |
women kneel to kiss the feet and pray.
IL makes the heart heavy, and one is not
inclined TO criticise the crude details. the
gaudy red ticking pillows Under the head
OF the image, the cracker boxes used for
coifers, the faded gilt and purple traDpings.
They simply become pitiful details. The |
agony OF the Christ image can be seen |
through the thin white cotton sheet. and |
the women kneeling and kissing his feet |
nave their black rebosas close about their |
heads and throats, their necks are bowed |
and their faces deep in black Ehadows.
Iae Cathollc services for Holy Week |
are realistic and impressive always TO |
these VINO understand, repeating the story |
OF the Holy Week, the Last Supper, the |
Crucihxion, the burial and the resurrec- |
tion, and the sorrow and darkness reach
their climax on Good Friday, when the
affairs are stripped, the candles are put
out, the bells are silenced, no flowers grace
the Virgins shrine, the Host is removed.
and the worlds most desolate hour is re-
membered in the desolation of the altar.
On Good Friday morning the little
Juarez cathedral is filled with blaek-robed
women; there is no fiutter OF the rose-col-
ored ribbons SO dear to the Senorita's
vanity; everything is black, and the re-
bosas all held so tightly that the faces and
prohies are deep in the shadows and the
church seems filed with sorrowing moth
ers, Mater DolOrosas all, in graceful,
melancholy folds of black. The wo-
men kneel on the floor, little girls
just tcddling into q walk pull their
rebosas about their shoulders with the
sorrowful Madonna gravity. The men in
their blouses kneel beside their big-pointed
sombreros, and the little boys pull off
-their sombreros, kneel beside them, cross ,
themselves, and accept the days solemnity
with an unchildlike patience The men
aud women are of the peasant type. 1t is
word one would not use of any man or
woman across the border, no matter how
heavy his work might be, but the shock |
headed Mexican in his gingham blouse
and his clumsy shoes, kneeling on the |
hoor or the church, remote from the altar |
and from the priest, seems typical peas. |
ant.
Some score Of men in purple robes and |
wearing silver braided circlets in their
thick. rough hair, stand outside the chan
Gel rail- and assist the priest in the ssry-
Ice: They form an aisle TO the cbanceI
ran, and the worsbipers slowly proceed |
through the aisle to the rail and away
again. Six little acolytes stand in a sol