The San Francisco call., 1905-05-07
Monarch Under Spell
Of a Religious
Mania.
PLANS PILGRIMAGE
Reposes His Faith in
the Powers Of ST,
Serafin.
TO OFFER PRAYER
Ascnbes the Birth of
an Heir to This
Source.
Special Gable to IN. csn.

ST. PETERSBURG, May SIT was
announced to-day that the Car has
decided TO make a pilgrimage to the
tomb OF St Serafln. at Sarafsbaya.
with the object Of imploring the saints
bones to save the Russian army in
hanchuria from defeat No date has
yet been set for this devout journey.
St Serafn, aIhough unknown to the
outside world, is a great power in
Russia. Notwithstanding the fact that
he has been dead for two centuries.
Sersin was q priest, who lived at
Baroh at the end of the seventeenth
century, and acquired a great repu-
tation for miraculous achievements.
The ignorant and superstitious popu-
1ation Of Russia believed implicitly in
his power of healing diseases and
working wonders. and in the course
of years his home at Saroff became the
destination of thousands of credulous
pilgrims.
The Gar of his time Alexander l.
visited the priest at Saroff and asked
his prayers for the empire After his
death Serafin was canonized and came
10 be regarded as one of the most i'm
Dortant Of the patron saints of the
orthodox Greek church in Russia. His
dead body is reputed 10 possess mirac-
ulous power, and in the course of the
last two centuries hundreds Of thous-
ands Of pilgrims have visited his tomb
IN the ancient monastery of Sarafs-
oaya- st Serafn's tomb is visited more
particularly by parents to whom
children have been denied and there
IS general belief in Russia that the
dead saint has caused childless women
20 become mothers
BRINGS CAR AN HEIR.
The belief in the miraculous power
of the remains of the dead saint is
shared by the Emperor of Russia as
well as by many other high personages
at the Russian court. After the Car
had been disappointed by the birth of
two or three daughters instead of the
son whom he so ardently desired. if
was suggested TO him that St Serafn
might possess the power not only of
procuring children for childless parents.
but also Of presenting a son to fathers
and mothers who had only daughters
The Gar welcomed the idea and be-
gan TO pay homage at the shrine Of St.
Serafn with the intention of gaining
the favor Of the dead saint At first
Ehe Gar paid homage by proxy.
The Cars visit 10 Sarafsbaya, where
rest the bones Of the saint, took place
on July 81 1904, and on August II the
Czarina gave birth to the long-desired
son and heir. St Serafin was imme-
oistely acclaimed as the benefactor of
the dynasty and of the empire
The suggestion that st. Serafn's in
tervention in the war with Japan might
be brought about with equal success
was made 10 the Car some time ago
In view Of the fact that ST Serafin
was able TO determine the sex of the
imperial baby it is thought by many
devout Russians that the sanity bones
might just as easily determine the
fortune Of war and check the triumph
ant progress Of the Japanese army in
Manchuria. This idea was welcomed
by the Car, who has recently become
the victim of a mild form Of religious
mania.
At one period when the Russian army
IN Manchuris was in an unusually dan
gerous position he spent two hours
every day praying in the chapel of his
palace for divine intervention to pro-
tect Russia from further humiliation
at the hands of Japan. The Car also
telegraphed to Father John of Kron-
stadt asking the priest to compose spe-
cial prayers for the victory of the Rus
sian army At the same time the Gar
telegraphed 10 the Archbishop of Mos
cow to compose special prayers for the
same purpose, anc It is reported on re-
liable authority that Nicholas II wears
large crucifix on his breast as a pro-
lection against assassination.
OFFICIAL PILGRIMAGE.
The Cars homage to ST. Sersfn
will be paid in very striking way.
He will journey from Tsarkoe seIo TO
Sarafsbaya in a special train, accom-
panied by several Grand Dukes and
Grand Duchesses of the imperial fam
ily, various high officers Of the army
and navy. several Ministers of stare
and high administrative officials as
well as by a group OF eminent dieni-
taries of the orthodox church. The
programme of the visit has haan
drawn up by the members of the holy
synod for the purpose of inpresstnr
as much as possible on the common
people the fact that the Emperor of
Russia has to PROSTATE himself and
10 do honor 10 q saint of the church
On arrival at Sarafsbaya a salute of
101 guns will be fired from a fortress
situated a few miles away and the