The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-08-25
CHURCH LOOTINC
ANCIENT STORY

Geographic Society to comment that
since the dawn OF history people have
been lavish with their gifts for re-
ligious purpos s, whether they wor-
SHIPPED idols or a Supreme Being.
The result is that in all ages treasure
usually in the form of gold and sill
yer and precious stones has flowed
to churches, temples and other re-
ligious institutions. In many periods
considerable part of the liquid
wealth of the world has been in &C.
clesiastical hands. Only the treasu-
ries OF temporal princes surpassed
those of the religious institutions and
in some instances monasteries and
temples held practically all the coun-
try's treasure, as is the case in Tibet
at the present time.
Archaeologists find that the pagan
temples of civilizations dead for
thousands of years were ornamented
with a wealth of precious metals.
Temples of several faiths in India
kept their rich treasures and orna-
ments for centuries, and even today
some make use of glittering array
of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and
other jewels. Many an East Indian
idol continues to look Tor is supposed
to) through eyes of great lustrous,
precious stones, and wears other
gems that might ransom an emperor.
Many attempts of adventures and
others to steal such gems t1ve usu-
ally resulted in disaster to them
selves
Christianity had to fight for its
life for the first 800 years of its ex-
istence and its rites were carried on
in the simplicity that secrecy made
necessary. But with official recog-
milton came the tendencies toward
the use of more elaborate and costly
paraphernala in services. Constan-
tine. first Christian emperor of Rome,
lavished gifts on St. Peters church
in Rome and on Sancta Sophia in his
new capital, Constantinople. The
marked enrichment of Christian
churches began in earnest in Italy
and the East about the fifth century
and spread in early medieval times II
France and other western countries.
Not only did the churches accumulate
gold chalices, patents, candelabra and
other objects but many had large
screens made of gold and silver as
we'll as fonts and statues. To few
of the churches affairs of solif gold
were presented. but later church reg
ulations prescribed stone and wood as
the only permissible materials for al
tars. Precious stones also came in
TO use TO ornament images of the
saints and as gifts to them. Thus the
Sacred Baby of the Church of Ara
Coeli in Rome has been given
wealth of Jewels.
This accumulation of church treas
ure has not been unbroken. Time and
time again these convenient stores
of wealth have been seized by con-
querors. Pagans have looted the
shrines of other pagans. Moham-
medans looted Roman churches, M
Guiding St. Peters in SAC, and the
churches of Constantinople in 1853.
Sancta Sophia, after the break be-
tween the Western and Eastern
churches. was sacked by Western
Christians during the Fourth Cru
SADIE; and church vessels were taken
or destroyed in many cases at the
time of the Reformation.
Russian church treasures have
been among the richest in late years.
When Russian ENJOYS were sent out
by the then semi-civilized state in 9S7
to choose a national religion they were
most impressed by the wealth and
rich beauty of the services at Sancta
Sophia. Since that time the Russian
churches have been marked by their
wealth of characterization. Screens,
reliquaries and canopies of precious
metals were to be found in all the
well-to-do churches. In some Of the
richer institutions whole walls of
sanctuaries were of silver and some
floors were of jasper. Numerous
icons were studded with jewels and
others were almost covered with pre-
cious stones. Some of the pals used
were practically small rugs of gems.
Probably the wealthiest of all re-
ligious institutions in Russia was
the Lavra or super-monastery OF
Kiev. Before the World war II had
an annual income Of 100000 in ad-
dition to well-stocked treasury. The
Lavre of ST. Sergius near Moscow had
treasure with a pre-war value of
about $325, 900. 900. At the Cathe-
dral of st. Isaacs. Petrograd, there
WAS more than n ton of silver in ad-