Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-03-26
RIVALRY is INTENSE.
Keen Antagonsm Between Greeks
and Roman Catholics at
Jerusalem.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 2l.-
tWilliam Il. Curtis in Chicago Rec
rd-Herald) There has recently
been revival of the hostilities be-
tween the orthodox Greek and Ro-
man Catholic monks in Jerusalem.
told you last November of the arrest
trial and imprisonment of the Greek
monks IA pplkFSs Sib2a &62 assaulted the Franclscans
the Holy Sepulcher That was done.
you recollect by order of the sultan
at the request of the German emperor
to crafty the Roman Catholic sub
jects and to give notice to the world
that Germany instead OF France in
tended to assume the responsibility
of protecting the Roman Catholic or
ders and believers in the Ottoman en-
pire. The French government has
posed as their protector since the
time of Louis the Grand. but the
present administration of the French
republic has little sympathy with or
interest in religious affairs
The Greek monks We're not only Sc
verely punished but deeply Inundated
by their prosecution, and have only
been waiting an opportunity to crafty
their revenge and resentment upon
the Franclscans. So intense has been
their vindictiveness that the superior
OF the Franciscan order has not been
able to go about Jerusalem without
a military guard from the Turkish
army. The governor of Jerusalem
received specific instructions from the
| sultan TO prevent any further COLI
sions between the Christian sects
| hence the police have been alert all
| winter and have several times inter
vened.
| On the morning of February
| leading to the Franciscan chape
| Just outside the Church Of Sep
ulcher and happened to land in al
enclosure belonging to the orthodo,
| Greeks Monks of both sects rushed
to the spot but the police were aheat
of them, and by the governors or
ders a guard was placed over thu
stone until he could obtain instruc
tions from Constantinople This II
illustrates the extraordinary situation
that exists In the Holy City and th'
bitterness of the rivalry between tn
followers of Christ The Franciscan
monks only desired 10 recover tn
stone and replace it in the stairway
which was very simple matter an
would have required only about te
minutes work on the part OF an ord
nary mason, but the Greek monk
would not allow them to enter thei
inclosure and refused 10 surrender
them the piece of stone about foo
long and a few inches thick. Lest tn
Greeks should make way with IN
stone so that the Franciscans coul
not recover II guard OF Mobamm
dan soldiers was kept there day an
, night for several days, and no on
was allowed to touch 1t until order
were received from the grand yizi'
( at Constantinople to deliver 1t to Il
= Franciscans and allow them TO r
1 place It in the stairway from which
i mad follen.
? During the few days before Chris
I mas every year the several orders
( monks which have chapels In u
Church OF the Nativity. clean up al
decorate the surroundings over Will
they are allowed jurisdiction. Ea
A sect sweeps. cleans. scrubs and do
crates Its allotted portion OF t
o great cave In which Christ Is believ
I. to have been born. but so Jealous
y they OF their rights that one side
e a row OF pillars that divide Greek Z
|. ritory from the Roman Catholic CHI
n el is cleaned by the monks OF one
n nomination and the other side
e. monks Of the other
Last Christmas was a season