THE RELIGION OF THE WORLD'S SOVEREIGNS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 63

THE RELIGION OF THE WORLD'S SOVEREIGNS.

(North Ameiican Review, Philadelphia )

Willie! m of Germany is a militant memb. r or the Luihit'dn Church and a -\ ehement

-3d ""-ea'-.tr lum^f Queen Wil-b-alm n.i of Holland is a member of the Dutch Reformed (Presbyterian) Church, and studied the Bible under a special professor, whom she is said to have frequently "pesed" by her searching questions. It is noL orncnlly stated -whether she shares the higher citical views of the great ma»s of Dutch Protestant scl alars, of whom Professor Wellhausen is the most eminent living authority upon the Old Testament. King Christian of Denmark is a Lutheran, with most Lberal views. King Oscar of Sweden is of the same faith, and much devoted to Biblical study. Colonel Eduard Muller. President of the Swiss Federation [since, this was written Ernest Brenner has been elected], is a Protestant, although the French and Italian cantons of Switzerland are to a considerable extent Roman Catholic.

Francis Jo«sph of Austro-Hungary is a particularly devout Roman Catholic, and m Holy Week himself ministers in the ceremony of washing the feet of 12 aged men. Carlos I of Portugal, on the other hand, is spoken of as a rather indolent and apathetic adherent of the same faith. Among the other Roman Catholic rulers are the President of Franca, M. Loubet, who is a very democratic Christian, the Prince Regent of Bavaria, the King of Wurtemberg, King Leopold of Belgium, and King Victor Emsnuel of Italy. 'J he latter, as we have lately pointed out, is credited by a recent writer in the Catholic World with being indifferent to religion, possibly an unbeliever ; but other Italian observers believe that, whether or not this is true, he desires peace with the Church. In the Western Hemisphere, Canada is ruled by a Protestant Viceroy, Lord Aberdeen, and a Roman Catholic Premier. Sir Wilfrid Laurier All the Presidents of the United States who have had Church affiliations have been Protestants. President Diaz of Mexico and all the Presidents of Central and South America are Roman Catholics, although, perhaps, m some cases only nominally such. The Orthodox Eastern Church also claims a number of rulers, the greatest, of course, being the Czar. Both he and the Czarina are said to be very punctilious in their -worship. They have magnificent private chapels, both 'in their St. Petersburg and their Moscow palaces. The music, as in all Greek churches, is entirely vocal, and the altar — .vhieh in the Czai's chapel is behind golden gates on which sacred subjects are frescoed — is suddenly disclosed when the gates burst open at the "Gloria," sung by the invisible choir. Among the other Orthodox Eastern rulers are King George and Queen Olga of Gieece, King Charles and his Queen ( ' Carmen Sylva ") of Roumania, and King Alexander of Servia. although the latter is said to be a good deal of a Laodicean *

Menehk 11. King of Abyssinia, belongs to one of the Oriental Churches rezaided as heretical by Latin and Greek diiho'.ics and by most Protestants Its doctrines comc'de with those of the Egyptnn Coptic Church, especially in the so-called " monophysite heicsy" (the belief that Christ has only one nature, in which are united the divine and human), besides the observance of cncumcision, and of other Jewish ordinances. Menehk, while be.ng an able warrior, is a devoted churchman, and attends service daily.

Among the non-Christian religions. Mohammedanism claims the largest number of iulers. Besides the Sultan, who goes to the mosque in Constantinople each'Fnday attended by ten thousand soldieis. there are the Khedive of Egypt, the Shah or Persia, who is said to he perfunctory in his religious observance*, the S';ltan of Morocco, and a score of lesser sovereigns of the East. The King of Siam is a Buddhi&t and was for a time a pnest. as is the royal custom in thit country. The numerous native rulers of India are almost wholly adheients of the ancient Vedic faith. The loyal family of Jipan are disciples of Slnntoism, for centuries the faith of their ancestors, although they show particular favour to one of the two great Howanp sects of Buddhism. The Emperor of China is said to be the greatest royal martyr to religious ceremonials As chief high piiest of China, whose official religion is Confucianism — although Buddhism and Taoism are also officially recognised — he has to offer a sacrifice to a different god almost every week in the year. To each saciifice is dedicated at least one holiday — often more — which the Emperor is supposed to

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pass in solitude. Altogether he spends moie ilian a hu. dre-d 'and fifty d r. t- a } ear m ichgious duties