New-York tribune., 1905-05-07

vii cease. NJ. PobiedonostseG. the Procurator
general Of the Holy Synod. a man eighty years
old, is credited with being directly responsible
for much OF the horrible persecution IN the past
OF those who were not members Of the Or
ttodox Church and Of those members and cler-
CTnen within the Church who have been too
broadm!n6ed to SUIT the authorities a short
tine ego il was reported in dispatches from St
Petersburg that the Russian clergy were re-
voting against the system OF ecclesiastical gov
ernnlent which made It possible for NJ Pobie-
donostseS 10 control the Church, and that the
revolt vas aimed especially against him.
'Torquemada Of the nineteenth century," is
what some have called Pobiedonostsen. The
man who would not accept the tenets of the Of
fetal Church, or the priest who endeavored to
make his religion vital thing, was sometimes,
bounded for years by tho ecclesiastical authori-
ties under his direction. or cast into prison, to
Ianguish in solitary confinement Until he be-
came mad or death came to his relief He could
be incarcerated without g. trial There have
been instances Of q mans innocence of the re-
Egious crimes against him remaining undiscov-
cred until after he had gone mad IN the soli-
tide Of his tiny cell.
Under the rule Of the present procurator, as
one Russian statesman is reported 10 have said
nothing is permitted Everything is either done
By order or is forbidden A member OF the
Orthodox Church who should venture to leave it
for the purpose Of joining another sect was like
ly to find himself in hot water. He liable 10
prosecution in the ecclesiastical courts and la
be 10 receive severe punishment. He may have
thought upon the subject OF religion and have
had g leaning toward some other. communion.
This was sufficient TO condemn man TO a course
in ecclesiastical penance' in monastery. If
be actually left the Greek Church he might be
deprived OF all his civil rights. He was treated
as Il dead as regards his property. This passed
10 his heirs Finally he was transferred to a
penitential colony. Should he secretly abture
his faith and Join any other communion, under
certain conditions his nearest relatives could be
punished
According to the law all subjects, Of. the Czar
were members Of the national Church II either
OF their parents belonged TO It or If any promise
had been given by them that the child should
be made a. member. Ecclesiastical prosecutions
for this were not uncommon. Fortunately for
the prosecuted, the ecclesiastical courts strange
es II may seem, can occasionally be reached by
money. The following is illustration Of how
the law which has been revoked worked:
In a certain district lived a young peasant girl
Of Roman Catholic parentage. She desired TO
escape the persecution Of an agent CT the estate
upon which she was living. She was engaged to
another man, who, like herself. was a itornan
Catholic. In order TO secure the influence Of the
village priest to protect her and to aid her in
marrying the man OF her choice, she signed a
document il which she promised that all the
children She might have would be brought UP in
the orthodox faith Her children in after
years refused TO be bound by the agreement.
Their father was arrested and sentenced to a
term Of Imprisonment for failure to exert hts
authority. It being admitted that his adult sons
were beyond his control. he was released after
sons were deprived Of their passports. so that
they could not leave the locality. They were
placed under the espionage OF the police. Later
they were threatened with arrest and deporta-
ton 70 q penitential colony.
Protestants were subjected to vigorous efforts
20 "Russianize' them. A story is told of how
e number Of families living in Courland, be-
tween Libau and Riga, were forced into the
Russian Church by a trick played upon them
by direction of the Holy Synod. The large pro-
portion Of the inhabitants are Let's The land
is owned chiefly by Germans. Between the two
there is active hostility. Both are Protestant
IN faith. however. A circular was sent to each
of the Lettish householders In a certain dis
trict This circular the head of the family
was required TO fill out. In II he TO state
whether he Was German or Russian The sub
ject Of religion was not mentioned, and the word
Lettish' not included. In filling out the
document the signer obliged to choose be-
tween German and Russian IN indicating his
race. The ignorant Let's. owing to their hos
tity 10 the Germans, could be depended upon
to write IN the word Russian"
In a short time a second document reached
the families. 1t had a more formidable look
than the first. 1t reminded them that they had
officially declared themselves to be Russians.
They were warned that they would incur Sc
we're penalties should they fail to observe the
rites Of the Orthodox Church A list Of their
names was sent 10 the Lutheran clergy. They
were forbidden to admit any Of the persons
whose names had been sent to them TO the SER
vices. sacraments or ministrations of the Prot
estant Church II they violated the order they
were TO suffer severe penalties.
The poverty stricken and uneducated country
priests Of the Orthodox. Church, despised by the
people are in danger of severe punishment If
they commit any infraction Of the ecclesiastical
code a refractory priest can be sentenced to
long term OF Imprisonment
The nlonasteries in which men and women
have been and are still confined for their atti-
tHde toward the official religion are literally
fortTesses. They are surrounded by walls
capable Of resisting siege. The monastery on
desolate island in the White Sea which was
used as an ecclesiastical prison until two or
three years ago Is an illustration Of what the
oA1cisI religion of Russia offered 70 men who did
not follow itz code closely and its adninistra-
torg thought they should Its massive walls of
enormous blocks. which could not altogether
shut out the cold IEists of the polar region, have
shut ia archb.shops. bishops, priests. monks,
magnates, princes. barons, officers, soldiers ana
merchants Here in solitary confinement, they
wore out their lives punishment for having
fIa Sn1n