Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-04-21
IN THE HOLY LAND
Easter the Accepted Time for
Gathering of Pilgrims From
All Countries.

ASTER has always been the most
l. popular season for pilgrims and
tourists to the Holy Land. Both the
Roman and Greek Catholic churches
have from remote ages encouraged
and promoted the pilgrimages to the
Holy Land. Scattered throughout the
land vast hospices have been erected
for the proper care of the religious
pilgrims under the supervision Of the
various Catholic and Protestant faiths
that are drawn to the promised land.
For. as someone has said, This, the
least Of all lands, is the n country
toward which Christian and Jew, Ro-
manist, Greek and Moslem turn with
adoring devotion and longing desire"
About fifteen thousand have been in
the habit Of visiting the sacred scenes
OF Biblical history every year, enter
ing the country through the ancient
seaport Of Jafa. The European con.
hict has interfered with the plans OF
many a devoted follower of the Chris.
tian faith who proposed this season
to carry out the dreams Of a life
time.
The writer recalls a band OF moro
than 1876 German Catholics whom he
frequently met last summer in Jerusa-
lem, under the guidance of Brother So
bastian, formerly stationed at the
American Catholic university, Brook
land, Washington, D. C. The pill
grims were taken prisoners as they
sailed from Jaffa a few hours after
they had left Jerusalem with songs
of devotion and praise to Christ and
his church upon their lips.
One of the principal sights OF Easter
in Jerusalem is to witness upon Holy
Saturday the so-called miracle of Holy
Fire. 1t has been denounced by Roman
Catholics and devout Christians OF
many faiths as a gross imposture, yet
year after year for hours the section
Of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
upon Holy Saturday is crowded with
the motley multitude, mostly from
Russia, who are waiting for the Holy
Ghost to appear unto them In the
sacred fire. The people believe that
1t descends from heaven that day or
is brought by an angel to the Holy
Sepulcher.
Early in the last century two oval
holes were pierced in the walls Of the
Chapel of the Angels, which Is a por-
ton of the Holy Sepulcher, where
Greek, Roman Catholic, Armenian and
Coptic Catholics worship at the burial
place, as they believe, of their Lord.
After being shut up in the sanctuary
for several hours, the Greek bishop
ptssGs the miraculous fire through the
little openings.
Immediately the multitude that has
waited for over twenty-four hours
without food or drink becomes a howl.
ing mob and the fanatical Russians,
Armenians, Copts and Abyssinians
contend like maniacs to get their
tapers lighted so that in a spirit OF
penance they may scar their bodies
with the burning taper that has been
lighted by the holy fire."
The task Of the Turkish guard sta
toned there in the great Christian
temple erected in the cradle OF their
faith. symDolizing in It's worship the
unity in diversity of the church, is
virtually powerless to keep order,
much less to check the rioting and
fighting Of professed Christians. FIRE.
quently the enacting of the ceremony
results in leaving upon the floor OF
the basilica the mangled dead forms
of many who came there to worship.
Above all the strife and superstition
of the various sects that worship In
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is
the fact that they all stand for a
common truth that is symbolized in
the sacred spot which for fully M.
teen centuries has been considered the
most sacred place on the earth.