The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-06
HIS BEATITUDE, THE PATRIARCH
OF JERUSALEM.

they have the right. under the new
Turkish Constitution, to all the
churches. converts and monasteries be-
longing to their church in the Holy
changers. as they call the foreign
priests. be whipped out of the temple.
and that the gifts of the pilgrims be
applied to the building of hospitals.
old age homes and schools for their
children. This movement is not con-
fined to Jerusalem, but 1t extends
throughout Palestine. and 1t has the
approval of the best element of the
communities. There are altogether
! about $4,000 native Greeks here, and
they have recently had meetings at
tended by delegates from their colonies
living in Jaffa. Nablous, Tiberlas and
Bethlehem They have. 1 understand.
demanded that the patriarch resign.
| and have sent word to the Sultan that
| they will not serve under him.
We have SO Few Greek Christians
in the United States that 1t is hard
for US to appreciate what the Greek
Church means. 1t Is ono OF the strong
churches of the world. 1t has alto
gether about 1oo,ooo.ooO members.
which is more than one-f1fth Of all
the Christians on earth and more than
two-thirds as many as all the Prot
estants. I have before mo the latest
statistics OF religious denominations.
Roman Catholics, about 10000, 900
Protestants, 1oO.O0O,0oO Greek Chris
tians 100000 who belong to the
Church of Abyssinla and about l.7oO,-
900 Armcnians. The sum total of
Christians IS less than 500. 100000 and
/ less than one-third of the population
OF the world.
On the other hand, there are 1885,
100000 Chinese who worship Confu-
ciys, 1so,o00,0OO Hindoos. 10000. 900
Mohammedans and 147,000,o00 Bud
dhists Those who believe in the vari-
Gus other religions are fewer.
The Patriarch of Jerusaloni.
During my stay here have had an
Interview with the patriarch of the
Greek Church He is the Pope of this
part of the world as far as that de-
nomination Is concerned, and he con-
trolls the vast possessions owned by
| the Greeks in the Holy Land. am
| told that the income of the church Is
something like $1,O00,000 year, and
that the greater part OF this fund is
administered by him. I have met the
Pope at Rome, but his holiness does
not appear In such splendor as does
the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The pa
triarch comes out upon state occasions
In hat and gown. decorated with dia-
monds, emeralds and rubies His
clothes are of woven gold and silver.
and the bishops who march With him
have crosses Of diamonds which hang
from their necks, and they are gowned
In fold and silver brocade.
One Of the queerest sights of tho
world Is to sec his beatitude as the
patriarch Is called, going through the
ceremony Of washing the feet of the
twelve apostles In front of tho Church
of theN Holy Sepulchre This he does
every year. He appears dressed as I
have described. but before going
through the humble ceremony of wash
ing the feet of the bishops who have
been picked out to represent the
/, apostles. he takes off his grand gown
of woven gold and lays aside his domed
hat, which is incrusted with jewels.
| AS he does so his long hair falls to
his waist. and he stands forth In plain
sight of his people, clad In long robe
of cream-colored silk crepe. which Is
bound In at the waist with golden
white girdle. He now takes Turkish
bath towel, which he wraps around his
loins. and then, stooping over he pours
| some water from golden pitcher into
basin of gold, In the meantime each
of the bishops has cast one of his shoes,
and he holds his hare foot out to be
washed, The patriarch does this quick-
ly. splashing the foot with water and
drying 1t with towel. AS he fllishes