EMPIRE SELF-RAISING FLOUR
Rises Above all Others.
RECORD
The West AUSTRALIAN
PERTH, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1913 AIMMI.11.111.1711.A.
Greek Monks and 'Monasteries Who is to Control Mt. Athos ? (BY D.G.P
The recent assassination of the King of Greece directs public attention to that country. When the time comes to re -arrange the boundaries of the Balkan States, not the least interesting question that will arise will be the control of the famous monasteries on Mt. Athos. Already it has been proposed to make the peninsula an autonomous Republic, but the constant quarrels that rend the Greek Orthodox Church will make the matter of government one of grave difficulty. Before giving a short account of this famous peninsula and its inhabitants, it might be well to take a rapid glance at the position of monasticism in the orthodox Church of the present day. (By the Orthodox Church is meant, of course, the Schismatic Greek ('hurch.) Monasticism forms a very important feature of the Orthodox Church, but the
TIME oF TRIAL OF THREE YEARS. After another two years he takes the Vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, but not for some years after this does he receive the distinctive "angelic dress," a great cloak marked with five crosses, and a scapular. Very few of the monks are priests.
FREMANTLE.) To the people they are all "good old men" and the usual title of a monk throughout the East is "good old man." Even the Turks have taken the word into their language. Those who have read Edmond About's "Le Roi des Montagnes," will remember the amusing account of one (,1 these "good old men."
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The Pope's Tomb THE: CRYPT OF STs PETER'S, A London paper states that under the Pope's directions, preparations have begun for the building of his tomb. It is his desire to be buried in the crypts of St. Peter's. The tomb is simply a recess in the wall of the crypt, and it has been
catacombs, it was not until the time of Leo I.that St. Peter's became resognised as a. place of burial for the Popes. Originally they were buried in the forecourt only, but later on the tombs were made in the interior. l'nfortunately some of the old -
OF THE GREEK DIFFERS WIDELY INDEED FROM THE CATHOLIC' IDEAL.
MONASTICISM
The development of our religious orders front the hermits and anchorites of the 4th or 5th century to the active teaching, missionary and nursing orders of to -day forms one of the most interesting studies in
the history of the Church.
In
the
East there has been no such development, and a Greek monastery of today differs searcely at all from the great monaster.es which dotted Egypt and Syria before the great wave of Mohammedan invasion blotted out almost every vestige of the ancient faith. In the Orthodox Church there are no religious orders in our sense of the words. A nein leaves the world He neither and becomes a monk. preaches nor teaches nor studies. He takes no share in any active works of charity, spiritual or corporel. Hie monk theft is all. Such works are for those living in the world It might they are not for monks. be thought then that a Greee monastery would resemble a Trappist or Carthusian Convent. Net at all. The central point in the life of the Trappist is eonterre.1:tive ',sayer but ;
CoNTEMPLATE.
:
THE MONASTIC REPUBLIC ON MT. ATHOS. Look at the map of the Balkan Peninsula, and jutting out from Chalcis you will notice three small peninsulas. On the most northerly one is Mt. Athos, and grouped around it are some twenty monasteries, containing no less than 7,500 monks. There are wonderful legends abort Athos telling of its ancient foundation, of apparitions and miracles without end. Even to the Turks, Athos is a holy mountain, and they have never interfered with the religious freedom of the monks. Though each monastery has its own abltott or Hegumenos, there is a GENERAL ASSEMBLY WITH SoME ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS over the whole peninsula. Each ni.snastery sends two representatives to Karyaes, in the centre of the Peninsula, and this assembly carries on any necessary negotiations with the Phanar, or with the Porte. The Athos monks are favourably known for their hospitality to guesta but their guests must be men. It is a rule admitting of absolutely no exception that no woman may set foot within this Holy Land. This absolute prohibition extends even to female aniamals. And form of STITDY IS JEALOUSLY KEPT 0 -TT OF ATHOS. school was once founded there, but the monks pulled it down. The meat fold divisions of the Orthodox Church are echoed even on the Holy Moletain. There are endless disputes -estween Russians and Greeks and B.tigars. At present the Russians predominate, and it is not likely th it exthe Greeks will be allowed to t-nd their authority in any way teesr this great centre of Eastern monks-
;
four hours are, in theory, thus di tided sistit hours for the Divine Office, eight hours manual labour, and eight hours for 4.eD, meals and rereetion. As a matter of fact, the Office usually takes from five to six hours. Each monastery or laura is independent of all others, though the abbots generally acknowledge the juThe risdiction of a metropolitan. monasteries on Mt. Athos are immediately subject to the Phanar, that is to the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Many of the monasteries have branch establishments called Kellia, which are often grouped in a sort of village called a Sketa. The laws now in force in the Orth it tin/one thedee Church srd to be a monk should spend a novitiate or
tion is
A
THE GREEK MoNIS DUES NOT Indeed he weuld scornfully tell you that contenipistion is a Western innovation. lie spends hour- and hours in saying vocal prayers at express sped and that is all. The twenty-
Monasteries are spread through.. at the Orthodox world, but besides the regular monasteries one will meet with hermits, especially in Macedonia. THE TURKS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLERANT OF THE HERMIT:, for much the same reason that Red Indians used to be kind 4o those whom the Great Spirit has deprived of reason. Most famous are the strange Meteora Monasteries of Thessaly. These are perched on ahusst inaccessible crags, and the visitor is hauled up in a basket. Thus far of Greek monasteries in general ; but most worthy of atten-
etteleS
.sire X., who has
directed
ineee large enough for the reception
Esery preparation has Leen made, and the recess has been coverer; op with brick so as to be re, vsntually for a slab of marbl. tie -shalt the name of His Holiness will be engraved after the burial. The Pepe has decided that the body of Leo XIII., his predecessor, shall remain in St. Peter's, instead of being moved to St. John Lateran s. The crypts occupy a space under the nave of the modern Basilica, and portions of them formed the crypt of the ancient church. Little change has been made through all the years. In these crypts are the tombs of several Popes and a number of important persenages. Few waste have been through the crypts, which are carefully guarded. Though some of the earlier Pones were buried in the c.:
a ce.t.nd
that his own tomb shuuld be built. est tombs have been destroyed, but there still remain a number of ancir monuments. Most of the early Popes had monuments in the old Basilica, but several were removed to other churches in the city and a few were interred in churches and alaels founded by their families. The greater number of Popes buried in the crypts are laid in the north ..isle, where is the sarcophagus of lioniface VIII., with his recumbent statue. On the head of the statue is the tiara, with the double ring of gold, first used by him. The tombs of Popes Pius II. and Pius III., whose monuments were removed to Ss Andrea della Valle, are also there, and next to them is the tomb of the only. English Pope, Adrian IV. (N. Breakspesr), whose tomb is in red granite, with sculptured bulls' hesds. i
ticism.
To Our Advertisers Mark Twain once said .-"When I was a newspaper editor a subscriS cc
wrote me saying he had found a spider in his paper. He asked if it was a good or bad omen. I repliel th it it was neither good nor had. The spider was there in his own interests. He was lookin: through the advertisements, intent on finding sett When Se who did not advertise. discovered a tradesman who did art advertise, he was going to his sh)e to spin a web across his front doer, and for ever more live an uninterrupted life." An anti -non -unionist crusade has been started at Broken Hill, N.S.W. One Argent -street shopkeeper was boycotted and not supplied vetth goods because he was employing nsn-
unionists.