Untitled article by S.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York City · June 11, 1896

“NATIONAL CHRISTIANITY.”

By S.

Conspicuously Exemplified by the Ceremony of the Czar’s Coronation.

The eyes of the civilized world have but just been turned from beholding the imposing spectacle of the coronation of his imperial majesty the Czar of Russia, in the historic city of Moscow. Among all that which was calculated to render the occasion great and impressive, nothing was more conspicuous than its deep religious character, which found expression through all the ceremonies in an acknowledgment of national dependence upon God. What the “National Reformers” have been long striving for in this country is in Russia an accomplished fact. It will now devolve upon this “reform” party, to bring the Government of the United States up to the level of national righteousness already occupied by Russia.

Only a Union of Religion and the State.

The Czar of Russia, we are told, holds no office whatever in the Russian Church. He is simply a pious ruler, exercising the civil power and authority for the glory of God, as every ruler ought to do, according to the National Reform theory. Hence there is no union of Church and State, and hence no chance for religious injustice and persecution. The Czar aims, of course, to exercise his power as ruler in harmony with the views of the leading religious representatives of the realm, just as we are told Congress and the civil rulers should do here. This is merely a union of religion and the State, or in other words, “national Christianity,” which we are told is not to be feared, but desired.

Description of the Coronation.

The following description of the coronation ceremonies is taken slightly abbreviated, from the New Orleans Times-Democrat of May 27. Let the reader imagine, as he reads it, an inauguration of a President of the United States conducted upon similar principles, such as would be demanded by a governmental profession of Christianity. We quote (italics ours):—

Before the procession started the grand almoner of their majesties, bearing a large golden cross, studded with jewels, and assisted by the deacons carrying a golden bowl full of holy water, sprinkled the whole route which was to be followed by their majesties from the palace to the Cathedral of the Assumption.

The ex-Empress Marie Feodorovna’s departure for the Cathedral of the Assumption having been announced, the Czar and Czarina made their entrance into the throne hall and seated themselves on their thrones, over which was a magnificent canopy.

THE IMPERIAL CORTEGE.

A moment later a signal announced that the time had arrived for the departure of the imperial cortege, and the latter moved toward the Cathedral.

The grand procession was headed by the Chevalier Guards of the ex-Empress Marie Feodorovna. Following were the imperial pages, representatives of the syndics of the rural communes, the mayors of the leading cities and members of the various local governments, presidents of the commercial and financial bodies and of artisans’ guilds of Moscow, etc. These were followed by Cossack soldiers and people, delegations from the nobility, the Senate, the church, etc.

As their majesties approached the entrance of the Cathedral, the metropolitan of Moscow pronounced the usual allocution, the metropolitan of St. Petersburg presented the cross to their majesties, and the metropolitan of Kieff presented them with holy water.

Entering the Cathedral, their majesties bowed the knee three times before a holy door and venerated the saintly images. They afterward moved toward the estrade and took their seats on the thrones of the Czars of Michael Feodorovitch and John III. The archbishops, archimandrites and the officiating clergy placed themselves in two ranks between the estrade of

the throne and the holy door, and the choir chanted the Psalm: “Misericordiam et Judicium Cantabo Tibi, Domine.”

THE CORONATION CEREMONY.

The ceremony of the coronation and anointment was then accomplished, as follows: “The metropolitan of St. Petersburg mounted the steps of the throne, placed himself in front of the Emperor and invited his majesty to make, before his faithful subjects, and in a loud voice, his profession of orthodox faith, and presented him with the open book from which the Emperor recited the symbol of the faith. After this the metropolitan of St. Petersburg pronounced the ritual: “Oratio Spiritus Sancti Sit Emperor Tecum. Amen.”

The metropolitan then left the estrade, and after the reading of the holy gospels, the metropolitans of St. Petersburg and of Kieff mounted the steps to the throne.

The Emperor arose and, taking off the collar of the Order of St. Andrew, ordered that the imperial mantle with the collar, in diamonds, of that order, be presented to him. They were presented on cushions by the metropolitans of St. Petersburg and Kieff, who also assisted his majesty to put on the mantle. The metropolitan of St. Petersburg then pronounced the words: “In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.” (In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.)

His majesty received the pontifical benediction of the metropolitan of St. Petersburg, who placed his hands on the Czar’s head in the form of a cross, reciting the two prayers prescribed by the ritual.

The prayers terminated, the Emperor ordered that the imperial crown be presented to him. Thereupon the metropolitan of St. Petersburg took the imperial crown and handed it to the Emperor, who took it in his hands and placed it on his head.

The metropolitan then, in a loud voice, pronounced the prescribed allocution.

In a similar manner his Majesty caused to be presented to him the scepter and the globe, and, having taken the scepter in his right hand and the globe in his left hand, he seated himself upon the throne. A few moments later his Majesty arose and placed the scepter and globe upon cushions.

The monarch then called upon her Majesty the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to approach, and she knelt before him on a velvet cushion richly embroidered with gold.

CROWNING OF THE CZARINA.

His Majesty thereupon solemnly lifted the crown from his own head and touched with it the forehead of the Empress. He then replaced the crown upon his own head.

His Majesty afterward took up the crown of the Empress and placed it on the head of her Majesty.

Her Majesty’s imperial mantle and the collar of the Order of St. Andrew were next presented with the same ceremony. This done, her Majesty took her seat on the throne while the Emperor again took the scepter in his right hand and the globe in his left.

The archdeacon next proclaimed the imperial title in extenso and intoned the verses: “Domine, Salvum Fac Imperatorem,” and “Domine, Salvum Fac Imperatricem,” followed by the “Ad Multos Annos,” which the choir repeated three times.

After the chanting the bells of the cathedral and of all the other edifices throughout Moscow were rung and a salute of 101 cannon shots were fired.

The Emperor then arose, handed the scepter and the globe to attendants and knelt down to recite from the book presented to him by the metropolitan of St. Petersburg, the prayer prescribed for the occasion. The prayer terminated, the metropolitan and all present knelt, and, in the name of the nation, offered up prayers to the Almighty.

After the prayer the metropolitan of St. Petersburg addressed a short allocution to the Emperor, and the choir intoned the Te Deum to the sound of the bells of all the churches of the Kremlin. During this ceremony the Czar stood with bared head.

The reading of the holy gospel followed, and two of the archbishops presented the holy book to their Majesties to kiss.

The anthem terminated and the officiating clergy having been notified that the holy door was open, two archbishops, assisted by archdeacons, advanced from the altar toward his majesty to announce to the latter that the holy ceremony of the anointment was to begin.

Thereupon his Majesty, having handed his sword to one of his assistants, descended from the throne, and, preceded by the scepter, the globe and the crown, went toward the holy door, followed by the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.

On both sides of his Majesty were his assistants, the Minister of the Imperial Household, the Minister of War, the aide-de-camp, etc. Approaching the holy door, the Emperor and Empress stood on the golden cloth. The attendants grouped themselves on either side behind their Majesties. The metropolitan of St. Petersburg, bearing the precious amphora with the holy chrism, dipped in it the bowl prepared for the purpose and anointed the forehead, eyelids, nostrils, lips, ears, chest and hands of the Emperor, pronouncing the words: “Impressio Doni Spiritus Sancti.” (The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.)

The ringing of bells and firing of a salute of 101 guns notified the populace of the conclusion of this ceremony.

ANOINTING OF THE CZAR.

After the holy unction, his Majesty placed himself on the right, in front of the image of the Saviour, and the Empress approached the holy door, where the metropolitan of St. Petersburg anointed her on the forehead, pronouncing the words of the ritual.

The metropolitan of St. Petersburg afterward introduced the Emperor into the sanctuary by the holy door, the other prelates officiating holding up the imperial mantle from the moment he passed the door.

Subsequently the Emperor received the holy communion as it is administered to priests,—that is, separately—by virtue of his sovereignty. Leaving the sanctuary, his Majesty again took up his place before the image of the Saviour, while the Empress received holy communion according to the usual rite.

Their Majesties returned to their thrones, where the post-communion ceremonies were performed, and at the end of the mass the archdeacon intoned the verses: “Domine Salvum Fac Imperatorem,” and “Domine Salvum Fac Imperatricem,” the choir repeating three times “Ad Multos Annos.”

At the end of the service the clergy presented the cross to their Majesties for them to kiss, the Emperor replaced the crown on his head, again took the scepter and the globe, and the clergy and all the persons present presented their felicitations upon the conclusion of the ceremonies of the coronation and the anointment.

The procession then moved back to the palace in the same order and with the same ceremony as upon the occasion of leaving it, preceded by the cortege of the ex-Empress Marie Feodorovna.

After leaving the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Emperor and Empress repaired to the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, where they were received by the Bishop of Kostroma, who presented them with a cross and holy water, and preceded them into the cathedral.

Upon entering the sacred edifice, his Majesty placed his crown, scepter and globe in the hands of attendants, their Majesties knelt and prayed before the holy images, relics and tombs of their ancestors, and the archdeacon read the lines.

Resuming the crown, scepter and globe, the Emperor proceeded in state with the Empress to the Cathedral of the Annunciation, where they were received by the Archbishop of Kherson and the clergy. There, also, his Majesty took off his crown and placed the scepter and globe in the hands of those charged to receive them, and the usual religious ceremonies followed. From the Cathedral of the Annunciation their Majesties went to the palace, and at the Krasnoe Kryltse received the benediction of the metropolitan of St. Petersburg.

This seems to have terminated the religious part of the proceedings, and certainly no God-in-the-Constitutionist could have wished for a more full or solemn expression of national allegiance to God than these contained.

During the progress of the succeeding festivities, which continued for several days, an appalling catastrophe occurred, by which between 2,000 and 3,000 of the new Czar’s subjects lost their lives. It was, however, deemed in harmony with the national profession of Christianity just made that the Czar should be present and dance at a “brilliant ball” given a few hours after the disaster, at the French Embassy. The press reports that “preparations had been made on the most elaborate scale for this ball, and it is asserted that $70,000 was expended on the supper alone, rare viands and delicious fruits and vegetables being brought from the most distant climes to add to the delights of the feast, while France furnished the costliest and most elegant fabrics and furniture to set off the beauties of the palace where the Embassy is lodged. . . . While the dance within the French Embassy continued amid all the accompaniments of luxury and gayety, disconsolate friends and relatives wandered over the desolate plain among the dead and the suffering dying, looking, often in vain for their missing.”

The Russian government is determined to make its religion a truly national religion, and to this end is endeavoring to weed out from the empire all unorthodox religions, by exterminating the dissenting sects, such as the Stundists, Baptists, Jews, etc., who will not change their religion for the Orthodox “faith.” This again is just as it ought to be under the “National Reform” God-in-the-Constitutionist theory of government. We have but to look at Russia, with its system of religious proscription and Siberian exile, to see this theory in all the beauty of practical realization. But we are not at all charmed by the sight.

May it be long indeed ere the people of this land are induced to arm the civil power with authority to profess religion in their name and establish a national code of religious belief to which all must conform or subject themselves to the penalty of disfranchisement and the loss of their civil rights. S.