BYZANTINE POMP

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1929, Page 4

BYZANTINE POMP

FUNERAL OF PATRIARCH. A special correspondent recently returned to Constantinople from the Phanar, where the funeral of the Ecumenical Patriarch Basile HI took place with all the pomp and ceremony of Byzantine worship consecrated by centuries. Basil 111., who died at the age of 87, was the 264th Patriarch of Constantinople since the Apostle St. Andrew, who, according to Byzantine annals, first preached the Holy Gospel on the shores of the Bosphorus. St. Andrei died at what is known as Patras, in Greece, crucified as was Christ, but on a cross with the form of the letter X, whence the name of Cross of St. Andrew.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is buried not like other persons, but seated on his throne with the mitre on his head and the crazier in his hand. The Patriarch Basile 111. was inhumed by the side of Patriarch Joakim 11., who, twenty years ago, was one of the great Patriarchs of Constantinople. The inhumation took place in the old monastery of Baloucli near the old walls of Constantinople, and famous for the curious legend of the fish. It is said that a monk was in this monastery on May 29, 1453, frying fish, when it was announced to him that the Turks had seized the town. He refused to believe it, and said: “If this announcement is true, may my fish, which are fried by half, throw themselves in a pool,’ which was near. And, says the legend, the fish did so. From that time this monastery took the name of Uotre Dame aux Poissons. At the funeral of Basile 111. all the foreign Powers, including a. Japanese representative, the charge d’affaires of the Embassy, were represented. Only the Turkish Government was not represented. Angora since the Lausanne Treaty has not recognised any authority in the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which lost at that time all its ancient political power.

This Patriarchate has now only a religious character, and it is known with how great difficulties the Turkish delegation, presided over by the actual Turkish Premier, Ismet Pasha, has been able to maintain this Patriarchate at Constantinople. The entire support of the English delegation, and especially of Lord Curzon, has helped to obtain this result.

In the old regime of the Turkish Government intervened in the selection oif Ecumenical Patriarch. Now all ties are cut between the Turkish Government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the election is free from i any direct official intervention. The Ecumenical Patriarch remains always the supreme chief of all the Orthodox faith, but really his jurisdiction is only on the Orthodox living within the limits of the town of Constantinople.