THE RELIGIOUS VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN
In spite of prevailing opinions to the contrary, no people show more
religious tolerance than the Russians. In no other country would such
sects be allowed to flourish as the Christian Skoptsi, who mutilate
themselves and their children in order to go to heaven; nor the
Duchobortsi, with whom Canada knows not what to do. The same is true
of the Sheit Mohammedan sect, who beat their bodies blue with chains
and thrust knives into themselves, even on the streets where every one
must see them. This so-called “Schachse Wachse” would positively not be
tolerated in any other civilized country on the globe. Imagine, in the
streets of a big city, where every one must pass, a Moslem spreading
his prayer rug and, his face turned to Mecca, beating the ground with
his forehead, shrieking weird monosyllables in Arabic, asking Allah
to stand by those of the true faith. Of the hundreds of nationalities
in Russia, each appears robed in its own fantastic costume. Should a
person appear upon our streets in some such garb, he would be stoned
by the newsboys, as certain Greek Catholic priests learned to their
astonishment. Yet a Russian never molests anybody, and shows great
reverence for all worshippers of God, no matter how or where. To say
that he hates the Jew because of his faith is an abominable lie.
[Illustration: THE “SHACHSE WACHSE” CELEBRATION
The less pious Sheits, who have not cut themselves so badly, giving the
photographer a chance. The “Shachse Wachse” celebration is rarely ever
permitted to be photographed. (Taken at Baku, Caucasus)]
The Greek Catholic clergy (Russian included) is not governed by one
head, as is the case with the Roman Catholic clergy, but is ruled
by several patriarchs, one of whom now lives in Constantinople, the
other in Antioch, in Syria, the third in Jerusalem, and the fourth in
Alexandria, and up to the time of Peter the Great, there also was a
Russian patriarch. All questions of either dogma or order are decided
by them working together. The moral influence of the patriarchs over
the religious Russian people has always been great, and at times the
patriarch has been a more powerful man than the Emperor. Previous to
the reign of Peter the Great, all laws had to have the signature of the
Emperor and of the patriarch. It happened that the patriarch of Moscow
during Peter’s sovereignty was not so strong a man as his predecessors,
and Peter purposely spoke of him in derision as a man who imbibed
too freely. As Peter did not like the idea of a divine interfering
with his temporal power, he stopped the election of a new, after the
death of the last patriarch of Moscow, and vested the power in a
conclave of bishops constituting the Holy Synod. Since that time the
Synod is presided over by a bishop, who happens to be the Metropolitan
of Petrograd. When a new rule is created by the Holy Synod, it is
submitted to the procurator, a kind of hard-worked hyphen between the
state and the Church, who, in turn, submits it to the Emperor, to
be approved, with alterations or without. For reasons of state, the
Emperor has a right to unfrock, through the Synod, any bishop guilty of
treason. In the history of Russia, this has happened but once.
Like the English king, the Emperor has the right to appoint bishops to
this or that province or city, but not as an ecclesiastic dignitary,
for he cannot consecrate bishops nor ordain priests. So much is the
Russian Church like the old Episcopal Church of England that Episcopal
ministers and bishops may take part in the divine services in the
Russian cathedrals, and are admitted behind the altar screen, where
only priests in vestment may stand.
Like the Roman Church, the Russian Church has seven sacraments. Little
and Big Lent are obligatory, and for forty days no meat or milk is
allowed, though fish, lobsters, oysters and clams may be eaten. The
priests must marry, except monks, before they are consecrated, but can
marry only once, and once married a priest can never become a bishop,
unless as a widower he takes the monastic vows. Then the degree of
Archimandrite is conferred upon him. After serving in that capacity he
may be consecrated a bishop.
The liturgy is very similar to that of the Roman Catholic Church, but
instead of Latin being used, they confine themselves for the most
part to the old Slavic and Greek tongues. From the former is derived
the language of the Russians, Poles, Bulgarians, Servians, Croatians,
Dalmatians and Bohemians.
[Illustration: THE “KREMLIN,” MOSCOW
A triangle two miles in perimeter, located in center of the city.
Within its boundaries are palaces, churches, an arsenal and museums.
The Old Kremlin was partially destroyed in 1812 and rebuilt during the
reign of Nicholas I]
The worshipping of ikons, as is the case with Roman Catholics in
Poland, is greatly in vogue, and, strange to say, the touching of
the ground with the forehead while kneeling reminds one of similar
Mohammedan salaams, the difference being that the Mussulmans have
absolutely no articles of worship in their temples, nor will they
tolerate the paintings of saints or even of Mohammed himself. It is
a curious sight to see hundreds of people kneeling in front of the
Iver-ikon of God’s mother at the entrance of one of the gates of the
Moscow Kremlin, kissing the frame which holds the miracle-performing
image. This, and the kissing of myriads of crosses and other ikons
seems a most unsanitary mode of worship. No doubt, it is the remnant of
those early days of Christianity, when external impressions had a more
forceful effect upon the mind filled with superstitions than they would
have upon the developed mentality of to-day. Since the imprint on our
minds would vary in significance were we looking at a statue of Venus
or at a Crucifix, the truth of the foregoing statement is too obvious
to need further comment.
Peter the Great created the Synod. A Greek Orthodox recognizes the
Emperor only as the temporal defender and guardian of the Church,
for in question of dogma the Emperor has no more authority than the
humblest peasant, and though he occupies a certain position of honor
in the church, he submits to all its rules--fasting, kneeling,
confessing, and kissing of ikons and crosses--so that while the Emperor
may represent the highest power in the temporal affairs of the church,
the highest spiritual power belongs to patriarchs and Synod. As to the
head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, of which the Russian Church is a
part, Christ, the Saviour, is its only head.
[Illustration: REGISTAN SQUARE IN FRONT OF MECHET SHIR DOR IN SAMARKAND
Built by the terrible Timur. Every Friday (Mohammedan Sunday) the
natives spread their rugs on the grounds of the square and pray for
hours, all of which does not seem to hinder them from being cruel
to their wives and animals nor from acts of immorality that are
indescribable]