New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-27

in-law, the widowed Czarina, and that in spite
of the reputation which she enjoys for intel
lectuality and exceptional learning. she believes
in all those modern miracles which play so great
role in the Greek faith of to-day.
Crown Princess Sophia of Saxonv was led
like Queen Helen of Italy. by considerations OF
love of her husband and children to Join the
orthodox faith to which they belonged feeling
that religious differences were calculated to
raise a sort of indefinable barrier between her
and them. Her abandonment of the Lutheran
Church. however. gave considerable offence in
Germany, and the Kaiser was for a time angry
with his sister declining to hold any communi-
cation with her But all bitterness has long
since disappeared. and the reconciliation of
brother and sister is now complete.
One of the most notable conversions In recent
years has undoubtedly been that of young
Prince Boris of Bulgaria. eldest son and heir
of Prince Ferdinand. At the time when the
latter married the daughter Of the enormously
wealthy ex-soveregn Duke Of Parma il was
expressly stipulated in the marriage contract
that the children born to the union should be
brought UP in the Roman Catholic faith.
which Prince Ferdinand and his bride belonged
With the view. however of propitiating the
Russian Court and government Prince Ferdi-
nand caused his little boy, when four years old.
to be converted from the Roman Catholic to
the Orthodox Greek rite, which is the national
church of Bulgaria. Car Nicholas acting
godfather of the child. The child's mother pro-
tested bitterly against this step, left her hus-
band. and was induced TO return to him only
by the personal entreaty and counsel of Leo
XIII, who. however, imposed the penalty of
minor accommodation upon Ferdinand, de-
barring him from the sacramento of the Roman
Catholic Church The Princess died not long
afterward. It is said from grief and sorrow.
nv he fac hat he
mitted to teach hen little boy his prayers or to
discuss religious matters of any kind with him.
while for several years the Emperor of Austria,
who is devout Catholic. refused to hold any
intercourse with Prince Ferdinand. declaring
that he had bartered away the religious well
fare of his helpless child solely for the sake of
securing his recognition as a sovereign at
the court of st. Petersburg, a recognition which
was In no sense a political necessity. but merely
a satisfaction to his vanity.
In the neighboring Kingdom of Rumania the
most extraordinary medley OF religions is to be
found at court. The King and Crown Prince are
Roman Catholics. the Queen-so well known as
Carmen Sylva"-is a Lutheran. the Crown
Princess is member of the Church of England
while her children. in accordance with the terms
of the Rumanian constitution are being brought
up as members of the Greek Orthodox rite,
which is the national church of the kingdom
The Crown Princess and her children by the bye
are the only descendants of the late Queen Vic
toria who not in the line of succession to
the throne of Great Britain, Princess Marie hav-
ing sacrificed her birthright as a member of the
reigning house OF England by marrying a Ro-
man Catholic prince. which is declared by the
Act of Settlement to entail forfeiture II is
derstoOd that when the time comes for her hus-
band TO succeed to the throne of Rumana both
he and she will join Lhe national church. that
is TO say the orthodox rite with a view of
strengthening their hold upon the loyalty and
good will of their subjects.
II the conversion of the Marquis OF Ripon
caused so great stir two or three decades ago.
it less account OF his rank as a states
than by reason OF the fact that it was ac-
companied by his surrender OF the office off
Grand Master of the Order of Free MasOns in
England on religious grounds. and that it called
attention for the first time the part OF the
English people at large to the antagonistic atti-
tude of the Roman Catholic Church toward the
craft which on the Continent of Europe is a.
most everywhere bitterly anti-clerical, and in
France atheistc. That the step taken by Lord
Ripon in way impaired the esteem in which
he was held by his sovereign and by his coun-
trymen is best shown by the fact that he sub
sequently was intrusted with the offices of Vice
roy of India, of First Lord OF the Admiralty
and of Secretary of State for the Colonies. The
importance accorded TO the conversion Of the
tate Marquis of Butte TO Rome, about the same
time was attributed less TO the fact that he was
one of the principal landowners of the United
Kingdom or TO the grandeur of his gifts TO the
Church which he joined than to the circum-
stance of his being portrayed by Lord Bea-
consfeld as the hero of his popular novel.
'LOthair."
Among other changes OF religion worthy of
hox- OFt VysO 0ff f,a
of Rothschild. who abandoned Judaism for Ro-
man Catholicism on becoming the wives of the
French Duke of Grammont and Prince of Wa
gram, respectively. Monsignor Bauer. the we'll
known spiritual adviser of Empress Eugene at
the Court of the Tuileres and who presided
over the Catholic ceremonies of the opening OF
the Suez Canal, began life as a Jew and after
the fall of the Napoleonic Empire resigned his
prelacy of the Church of Rome and reverted to
the faith of his fathers, I'm which he died. Sir
William Pelgrave. the we'll known English dpIO-
mat. traveller and explorer was in turn a MEM
Der of the Church of England Roman Cath
Ollie monk in India. priest of the Order of the
Jesuits devout Mahometan and an enthusi
astic Buddhist. without these changes of faith
impairing In any degree his usefulness as a ser
want of the British Crown. The present Lord
Marlborough is a protesting Buddhist. which
does not prevent him from voting In the House
of Lords questions affecting the welfare OF the
Church of England. while the late Lord Stanley
of Alderley who served in many chimes a
member OF the diplomatic service of the Crown
and who. patron of no less than four livings
Of the Church OF England. possessed by right
of descent the prerogatives Of selecting the rec
tors of four large and populous English parishes
being responsible therefore. for the spiritual
welfare of the inhabitants Of the latter, died a