ROYAL CHAPLAINS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5279, 8 June 1895, Page 1

ROYAL CHAPLAINS.

(English Paper.)

Were the piety of sovereigns and princea proportionate to the number of their chapI tains, they would deserve to be regarded as saints. Queen Victoria, Emperor William, the Tsar, and tbe Qneen-B3gent of Spain each has a score or two of eccleßiaeticß attached to their respective households, while the Prince cf Wales appears to believe that it needs the united efforts of no fewer than six eminent divines to assist him in bis devotions. Indeed, there is scarcely a Eoyal personage in Europe who is not provided with one or more chaplains, whose particular duty ib is to attend to the spiritual welfare of their illustrious charges. THIS 13 NO EAST TASK to be undertaken. It demands the exeroioe of far more diplomacy than theology to perform one's duty aa paßtor to a prince or princessof the blood. When, however, the chaplain happens to be a man of strong individuality and mind he acquires a powerful influence over hiß royal and imperial charges— -an influence by no means confined to spiritual matters, but extending likewise to political affairs. Thus, if in 1870 the Italians failed to come to the assistance of the French, a nation to which they were primarily indebted for their independence, ifc was mainly attributed to the enormous influence exercißed hy Monsignor Bau.r, the chaplain of EmpreßS Euaenie, upon her Majesty. The establishment of King Victor Emmanuel's Government at Borne, and the transformation of tost city into the capital of United Italy, formed one of the' prinoipal stipulations of tho agreement concluded between Napoleon 111. and Count Cavour, and would have been carried into effect in 1859, or, at the latest, in 1862, had it not been forthe interference of the Empress Eugenic. PROMPTED BT HER CHAPLAIN, Monsignor Bauer, she insisted that the French army of occupation should be kept ; lat Konie, in defiance of her husband's wishes for its withdrawal. It was in vain that Prince Napolech exhorted his cousin, the Empuror, to fulal his pledges, and by removing the Fraich troops from the Eternal City, to rerder possible its annexation by King Vi_tor Emmanuel. The Empress and her chaplain succeeded in having their way, and the consequence was that when, at tie time of the war with Germany, France appealed to the Italians tor assistance, she found them so exasperated by the non-fulfilment; of the Emperor's pledges that her requeßt waß mot with A CUB? REFUSAL. To tho influence of Pastor Sboecker, who has attained an unenviable notoriety aB a leader of the anti-Semitic movement in Germany, must be attributed the very marked animosity manifested by the present Etnpsror towards the Hebrew race prior to his accession to the throne, and during the early years of hia reign— an animosity that called forth an eloquent protest in. writing from the late Baroness Charles Rothschild, *who, in the letter recently published on the occasion of her death, and addressed to the young monarch some four years ago, re-called to hia mind the friendship with which she had been honoured by both his grandparents and parents, and appealed in fch*.ir name for kindlier sentiments towards the members of her faith and race. In the samo way, much of tho narrowmindedneßS of the late Tsar with regard to religion must be ascribed to the influence exercised upon hitn by hia principal chaplain, Father Yanycheff, whose bigotry verges on DOWNRIGHT FANATICIB.tr. It was tbis priest who almost brought about tho breakin^-off of the match between Etnpsror Nicholas and Princess Alir of Hesse, by insisting that she should not only renounce, but also publicly denounce, the Lutheran faith in which she had been born and bred. She waa perfeotly prepared to enter the Greek Church, but she absolutely declined to condemn the reli-

gious belief of her parents as heretical and reprehensible, and had it not been for the infinitely greater tolerance displayed by Father John of Cronstadt, who attended Alexander's death-bed, and who haa now been appointed * chaplain to the new Emperor and Emprese, it iB very probable indeed that the marriage would never have taken place. , And if Queen Victoria manifests a breadth of view in religious matters it is mainly due to the excellent influence of the lata Dean Stanley, who was for so many years her principal chaplain as well as her adviser in matters ecclesiastical. He was a very broad-minded man, and at his afternoon tea-parties in his residence at Westminster Abbey ware to be met Roman Catholic cardinals, Buddhist popes, Unitarian ministers, and members of almost every creed under the sun, save Mormons, at whom the Dean drew the line.