Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-25
Some Things You Want to Know
The Holy Land-Christmas in Bethlehem.

Just az midnight the procession Of priests.
headed by the patriarch and followed by
as many If the people "a can crowd In.
descends the stairs o. the Grotto 90 the
Nativity tire veritahle spot where Jesus
vas born. Each person carries Il candle
and the huge organ In the Latin chapel
peais Forth the music OF the midnight
mass. on this occasion the Greeks permit
the Catholics 20 use a portion N their part
OF the church for the professional. A car
pet Is laid down and the Catholics walk
on t. It - lined on both sides by rows
Of Greek priests. who keep careful watch
lest any Catholic should step or the car
pet and thus desecrate the Holy Place.
The patriarch hats first at the shrine
u the Manger n spot possessed excIu-
siveiy by the Latins. The wooden manEer
in which IL is believed that the Infant
Jesus was laid was removed. centuries ago.
70 Rome. where e is exhibited every
Christmas. The Manager in the church At
Bethlehem IL built OF precious marble. The
procession again hats az the altar erected
where the Three wise Men knef to make
their gifts to the Infant Redeemer
Al last the patriarch comes to the yrotto.
and here celebrates the mass in the sane
tuaTy Of the Nativity. The grouto is
Eacked 10 zufe0cation by the crowd. the
air Is filled with the smoke af the caadles.
It is impossible to hear. and the celebra-
ton Is anything but impressive. After tile
patriarch has Withdrawn there is usually
a long line OF visiting priests from every
country VITO desire 20 celebrate masa an
Christmas day IN the birthplace u the
Savior. They take their turn and the mass
is repeated over and over again all through
the ni=hr and until noon on Christmas
dss
Those who have assisted In this Christ
mas celebration declare that wherever
there is 4 Catholic church In al the world
ana whenever the midnight mass Is sail
OF sung under proper conditions. the oc-
casion Is more solemn and impressive than
in this suffocaung cave which was a
stable 1900 years ago.
The Roman Catholics obtained possession
II the principal control OF the Church %
the Nativity in the year 1898. upun the sue
cess OF the Crusaders Invasion OF Palzs-
tine. Baldwin, king OF Jerusalem. was
crowned in the Church Of the Nativity on
Christmas day, uD1s The church was made
the seat OF the Episcopal see Of Bethlehem
in the twelfth century and so continued
until 1879. when the Greeks and other orien-
tai sects dispussessed the Larins. The
Catholics we're not again permitted to have
any share IN the church until 1872. Ever
since the time when st Louis was king Of
France the French nation has been the
Gtular protector Of the Latin Christians
in Palestine. This fiction was made a
reality in 1882 by Emperor Napoleon III
who obtained from the sultan OF Turkey
a ukase giving the franciscan Catholic or
der a portion Of the Church OF the Ma
uvity.
1t was alleged that the Greek priests
mad stolen the silver star which marked
the birthplace Of the savior. and the Cath
0iiCs Of vienna sent 70 Palestine a star
to be set in the Grotro. Napoleon III de-
manded and obtained from the sultan the
keys to the Grotro and permission 70 set
in the place where Christ was born a sill
yer star with the. arms Of the
empire OF France. This caused terrific
Indignation among the eastern churches.
which was shared by the Russian nation
and emperor. The Crtmean waF was the
result. Nowadays Greeks. Arnentans and
Latins keep constant guard N the church.
and with the aid Of Mohammedan soldiers
the peace is preserved.
The people 0f Bethlehem know nothing
Of Santa Claus; they have no custom or
giving Christmas gifts; they have no
Christmas trees. no mistlet8e, no holly
wreaths. All these things we have inher-
tied from our pagan ancestors OF northern
Europe. IN Bethlehem Christmas is the
annual celebration OF the visit OF the three
wise men. Of the appearance Of the heav-
emily host TO the shepherds and OF the birth
Of Jesus. And TO them Jesus is not only
the SON II God, the redeemer OF the world.
the founder OF their reilgion and the most
sublime being OF the ages. out He is also
Jesus the son OF Mary, who was born in
their town. And there is nothing irrsver-
ent Or sacreIigiOUs in the pride with which
these people claim Jesus Christ as a fell
low towEsnan. Christmas in Bethlehem
is the local celebration uf a local svenr.
~ FEEDEE1C r. AASxrU.
Tom0rrow-TEE HOY LAND - The
City OF 2rucnsBtOns.