Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-09
Religious Tolerance in Russia.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:

Religious Tolerance in Russia
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
So very general appears to be the misap-
prehension as to whatsis termed religious
liberty in Russia that a few words upon
that subject from one who has passed sew
eral years in st. Petersburg might not
prove amiss.
The Russian-or Orthodox faith (Pravos-
lavie, from Pravo, right; and Slovo, the
worlds the established church in Russia,
just as the English. or Protestant Episcopal
Church, is the established church in Eng
land. the only difference between the creeds
of these two churches lying in the words
used in the Nicene Creed: THE Holy
Ghost, who proceedeth from the Father and
the Son. and those expressed in the Rus
sian belief, The Holy Ghost, who proceed
eth from the Father
The idea generally entertained outside of
Russia is that all Russians, without excep-
ton, are obliged to belong to this church;
but this is most erroneous.
While, Of course, 1t, being the national
church, the greater part OF the population
do belong to it, and all SO doing are reauir-
ed to have their children baptized in the
same; yet a large number of influential
families belong to the Catholic and still
larger number to the Protestant or Luth-
eran Church. In fact In the heart Of the
Page Corps stands what I believe to be the
oldest Catholic Church in Russia, while
there are many handsome Catholic and
Lutheran churches throughout st. Peters
burg. - In ~ 6'rT - '.t-='
The English Church is a very large one.
and besides that there is an American
Presbyterian chapel There are also sew
eral Jewish synagogues, amongst which Is
lately completed and beautiful copy of the
temple at JePuSaleni There rs, furthermore
lower classes, being OF Tartar extraction,
are Moslems. while I'M the emperor's escort
which is composed OF Cossacks and mem
bers of old princely families of the eau
casus-are merelthan few who have not
embraced Christianity. go
Yet the belief Is prevalent that there is
no religious liberty In Russia!
Let us glance a moment at the great edu-
cational establishments of st. Petersburg.
after which are modelled those of all the
other cities and towns In Russia.
To each one of these. be 1t civil or mill
tary. Is attached Russian priest well
az a Catholic and Lutheran. so that no
one of the students may be without ret-
gious Instruction.
Sunday schools are. however, things I'M
known! Does this astoniSh you, and do
you ask why it is? Simply because religion
is there considered as an integral part of
each chifd's education. and the church HIS
tory and liturgy are studied not alone on
Sundays, but >on every day of the week,
and form quite as important feature of
the general instruction as do the algebra
and calculus. In fact Religion counts
first among all the school marks. No youth
may ever be excused from the studies be-
cause of his protesting atheistical ideas
In fact. such one would not be admitted
into any school whatsoever in Russia and
and here, perchance. is where the generally
deprecated point of religious liberty in
Russia comes In.
From several years acquaintance with
the system of education I'm Russia should
say that every true belief is there respected,
while atheism is in ~nowise tolerated. In
Of x1yhfo h 7 hot
the principal military schools namely the
Page Corps. Nicholas Cadet Corps, etc.
there are always one or more Mohammedan
boys. these being usually sons of some of
the reigning princes of Central Asia Their
religious rules are never interfered with
and they are allowed to choose their own
time for coming into the Russian Church.
which they usually, though not Invariably
end by doing.
A word in closing in regard to the SIM
pie. kindly priest Pere Jean, would not be
out Of place. Il think; s,,.-
AlthOugh cOnfeSSor to the Emperor Mich
olas ii. as he was to the late Emperor
Alexander III. he Is a simple parish priest,
born at ArcEangei on the shores of the
hite sea, and now rector of the town OF
Cronstadt, the military port that lies at
the mouth of the Neva
he Is an unpretentious, large-souled
man and appears endowed with so won
derful gift of healing. that our Savior's
injunction to His disciples to heal the
sick" would seem to have found it's latter
day exeE plffication in him.
He Is looked upon by the Russian people
as almost saint, because of his life of de-
Votfon to the sick and suffering and none
are there of. either priests or laity but do
him reverence
An incident Illustrative of his quick sym-
pathy for all in luclxless plight was related
to me by the pastor of the American
Chapel, In st. Petersburg. This occurred
liz Moscow at the time. of the present cars
coronation, when the bishops and priests
churches were assembled together in that
part of the cathedral from which they were
to view the imposing ceremony. Among
the number was an armenian bishop who
appeared to know no enc and to be- for
some unaccountahie reason, equally avoid
ed and Stunned by all
My informant was about wondering in
what language he might address this ap-
parently ostracized feliDw-creatnre when
Pere Jean appeared suddenly in their
midst.
One swift glance he cast at the assem-
bled clergy-Russian bishops in their eor-
geous robes conversing freely with bishops
OF the Catholic, English and different Prot
and alone. the unknown stranger whom
they were treating as an outcast and
pariah.
Without one word, Pere Jean, whose
blessing the greatest OF these church dieni-
taries would have craved, made his way to-
ward the solitary figure, and. bending low
before him, irnplored his blessing. So the
ice was broken. and from that moment
the right hand Of Fellowship was extended
to this feilow-worker In Christs noc1
/. RADFORD DE WEISSNSR