The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-08-23
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.
CrumbIing Structure That Marks the
True Location of the Savior's Birth
place for Memorial Temple.


1t would be great thing if the
churches of Christendom would cele-
brate the twentieth century by hold
| ing a conference for the purpose of
providing ways and means for the
erection of suitable temple upon the
site of: the Nativity. The present
structure is Inadequate and unworthy,
being incomplete, insecure. neglected
and partially in ruins, while the in
| terror is disgracefully tawdry and
cheap. 1t is one of tn. Oldest exam
plies of Christian architecture in the
world, but has been partially de-
stroyed on several occasions, and the
from time to time were intended to
be only temporary. Almost every old
church throughout Palestine is aftrib-
uted to Empress Helena, most of them
falsely; some have been erected with
| in the last two or three centuries and
more dating from the time of the
crusades. The energy, the enterprise
and the piety of that good woman
were so notable and she did so much
to honor and uplight Christianity that
She iscredited with many works that
she never thought Of; but there is no
doubt that the basilica at Bethlehem,
at least part of it, was erected by her
direction and under her supervision.
This fact is not disputed, and believe
it is the only church in Palestine of
which this may be said. The remain
| ing buildings attributed to her are
more or less in doubt, says CORE
spondence of the Chicago Record-Her-
add
The Church of the Nativity, as it is
called. is an enormous, irregular and
ugly pile of buildings extending along
ridge of the hill on which Bethlehem
| Is built, from east to west, and in
| cludes three converts owned by the
Roman Catholic, Orthodox Greek and
Armenian churches. all of them con-
nected with it. There is absolutely
nothing to excite interest in the en-
tire structure except its size and a
few Corinthian pillars, half OBJ
| liberated mosaics, and roof beams
| of cedar from Lebanon. In this church
| Baldwin / was crowned king of
| Jerusalem, and here hundreds of
kings, princes and potentates and
other great men from the east and the
west have knelt in prayer to the
Christ child.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher at
Jerusalem, the Church of the Annun-
citation at Nazareth. the tomb of the
virgin. the garden of Gethsemane, and
| all the other greater sanctuaries have
been the subject of dispute for CEN
turtles. Nothing definite can be said
for or against their authenticity, and
| therefore they probably always will
be involved in doubt and controversy
| which is used as reason, or rather as
an excuse. for not erecting appro-
pirate monuments over them, but no
such objection can be offered to the
Church of the Nativity. The traditions
which surround it can be traced back
to the very night of the Savior's birth,
and secular history confirms them
We know that Jesus was born in a
| stable because there was no room fol-
His parents at the inn; we know that
that stable was connected with q
cave, and that it was situated in the
village: we know that the location oil
the village has not been changed. and
there being but one cave, the chain OF
evidence is clear.
The Christian sects should also
agree that the temple sheltering the
birthplace of Christ should not bs
turned into bazar as it is to-day By
the Greek priests. The Roman Cath
Ollie priests are not guilty of thi:
sacrilege, but the Greeks not only ped
die all sorts of religious souvenirs be
fore the very altar, and importuns
pilgrims to buy them, but practice i'm
positions and frauds upon the devoui
and .trustful peasants which would
send them all to the penifentiary j
they could be tried in any common Law
court. Some of these impositions are
extraordinary and even absurd. Fol
example:
According to tradition, the hol,
mother went into cave near the vii
lage of Bethlehem at some time or an
other to nurse the baby Jesus. A few
drops of milk from her Overlooking
breasts fell upon the floor and wer,
absorbed by the dry. porous, chalk,
soil. The priests say that it permeate,
the entire hill just as the altar of rose
will permeafe semi-solid substance
with the force of its virility. For cen
turtles there has been superstition
among the woman of Bethlehem tina
chalk from the floor of this cave dis
solved in milk or water if taken by
mother will not only promote fertil
ity. but abolish the profession of we
nurses. Women who are not mother
and young maids use it to develop
their busts, and for this it is claime'
!, TO be very efficacious. Hence tablet
or cakes like little pats of butter mad
of this chalk are much sought afte
BY pilgrims, and the demand is SUP
oiled by the Greek priests.
Interd enominatfonnl Theology.
II London, England, is the only cit,
| in the world which can boast the uniqu