South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-11

Of the pOpes in
Rome is entire
-, ly erroneous.
~ i'''o In the olden
DAYS. before the reforms Of Peter
the Great, the Muscovite ears were
considered by their subjects as the
equals OF the Patriarch Of Moscow,
in whose person the religious au-
thority was supposed TO be vested.
The car and Patriarch used 10
walk side by side in all state cere-
monies, and no important decision
in matters affecting either interior
government or foreign affairs was
come 70 without the consent Of both
Of these functionaries. In fact it
was the Patriarch who was Consid-
cred as the more important. if only
because IL was his hands that crown
ed the Czars and invested the latter
with their authority. The nation
would rather have followed the pa
triarch than the sovereign. who was
constantly made TO feel that he was
but a secondary parsonage in the
realm and that he was not free TO
take any decision OF Importance
without the agreement OF the for
m
But when Peter the Great began
his reforms. his first act was TO get
rid OF the Patriarch, in whom he
saw a rival. and one most danger
Gus. II is useless here to recall his
struggle with Nixon, but the fact
remains that when. the capital was
q. 20
Moscow Patriarchate was abolish
ed at the same time. and its author
ity was transferred 20 the Holy
synod. which was supposed 20 be
an assembly composed Of the bis
hops. not Of Rome alone, but OF the
whole ChristendOm. This was so
true that to this present day a chair
supposed TO be destined for the
pope OF Rome remains vacant dur
ing the solemn sittings Of the synod
and now stands side by side with an
other vacant chair. the one which
used TO be occupied by the czar
The car was considered as the
secular head OF the Greek orthodox
church, after the disappearance of
lie fAAi A1l tAAr " lifrt OllANt cAS SAetAN'A
was virtually abolished by Peter the
Great. and as such the car was
supposed to preside over the synod
where i'm his absence the prOcura-
tor of this assembly post Occu-
pied for "a number OF years by the
famous Mr. PObedonossoff-tO his
place But the car alone could %.
make any decision whether import
ant or not. in any religious matter
cr question concerned with church
discipline. TO sum up his position
in a few words. he was the protec-
tor. but net the head of the church
The synod comprised several bis
hops and archbishOps designated by
the sovereign and the metropolitans
of 81. Petersburg, Moscow and Kien,
who were ipso facto members Of it,.
These three dignitaries were equal
in rank and their precedence was
determined by their seniority i'm
their office 10 was the senior met
ropolitan who, in recent generations.
crowned the car. yet who always
yielded TO him precedence. i'm the
rare occasions when they happened
10 appear together at some state
ceremonial or other
In recent years the See Of Petro-
grad. considered as the most inn
portant in Russia. was occupied 10y
very distinguished monk An
thony the author OF several books
which viii remain as standard
works on Greek theology But
when he died few wears ago the
famous Raspoutine (Rasputin) in
terfered i'm the matter of the APP
pOintment OF his successor and sue
ceeded in having the honor confer
red upon an ignorant priest called
Pitlrim. who had nothing 20 rec
ommend him beyond the influence
OF the vagrant preacher who ruled
the court and the capital.
Pitirim thus called upon 10 sue
coed one OF the most eminent di-
vines the Russian church has ever
known or produced. did not during
the years OF his tenure of office.
make one single friend but con-
trived 20 win for himself a consid-
cradle number OF enemies People
hated him because they considered
him as the creature OF Raspoutine.
and one OF the drsts acts Of the new
government that succeeded the
car. was TO ask Pitirim TO resign
his functions
lie did not need 10 be twice ask
cd 90 relinQuish his honors lie had
made considerable amount OF
money during his tenure of office.
having contrived 10 put aside "a
great portion OF his splendid in
come. and ne appeared 10 be salts
fed 90 retire into one of the nu-
merous abbeys which abound I'm
Russia. As soon as ne had been re-
Heved OF the responsibilities OF a
post for which he had never been
ntted. the question arose as TO who
was 20 be his successor. But here
the revolutionary spirit asserted it,
self and one Of the most eminent
bishops Of the Russian church. Mon