134 



H. HOSTEN ON 



Pol. §7ir. 



For the Armenian Fathers who are in Jerusalem 

 For the Fathers of St. Francis in Jerusalem l 

 For the Fathers of St. Francis in Halepo 2 

 For the Fathers of St. Francis at Bethlehem 8 

 For the Church and the Christians of Lahor 

 For the Church and the Christians of Agra 

 For his grave with a chapel 



For widows and marriage dowries for orphan girls 

 For saying Masses at Goa 

 For arranging (per a concertar) a cemetery for the deceased 

 Christians of lyahor + 



Total 



Rs. 



6,000 



1,000 



500 



500 



2,000 



4,000 



3,000 



2,000 



400 



600 



20,000 



" M. Scander ordained further that, as to the specified property which he left to 

 the King, four portions should be made of whatever the King might not take, but 

 leave to his sons ; three-fourths of this to be divided among his children, and one- 

 fourth to be given to the Fathers of the Society at Agra and spent by them in pious 

 works at their discretion. In fact, the King left to the sons of M. Scander many of 

 the things they offered him from their late father ; and, as it was very difficult to 

 verify from reliable accounts (averiguarse pov contas certas) how much the said one- 

 fourth amounted to, Fr. Xavier and Mirza agreed that, so long as the matter was not 

 ascertained more clearly, the said fourth part would be seven thousand rupees. Be- 

 sides, as M. Zulcarnen was nearly sure that, after the division of the property, his 

 three brothers would not pay their share of the alms, he took upon himself of his 

 own accord, and with the consent of his brothers, the whole of this obligation, || 



1 Prom the 13th century Catholicism was upheld in the Holy Land almost exclusively by the Franciscans. The 

 Order has a special province, the Custodia Tcrrce Sancttp, the head of which, till 1847 the supreme authority for Catholics 

 in Palestine, is the Franciscan Provincial, the Custos Tcrrce Sanctis. The Franciscans have at Jerusalem the little Con- 

 vent of the Holy Sepulchre with the Chapel of the Apparition, that forms the northern part of the group of buildings at 

 the Anastasis. This has been Franciscan property since the 13th century. 



The Gregorian Armenians possess at the Holy Sepulchre the Chapel of St. Helena, of St. John, of the " Division of 

 Garments," of St. James (behind the Anastasis), and " the Stone of the Holy Women." They have further the right of 

 walking in procession about the Anastasis, and take their turn to celebrate their offices at it. They have other establish- 

 ments in Jerusalem. Cf. Adrian ForTESCUE in Cath. Encycl., New York, VIII. 



It would seem that Zii-1-Qarnain's benefactions to the Armenian Fathers of Jerusalem went to the Gregorian Arme- 

 nians, non-Catholics, which makes us suppose that his father Sikandar was not originally a Catholic. 



2 The Christian population of Aleppo is now 19,000 Catholics (Greeks, United or Melchites, Syrians, Armenians, 

 Maronites, Chaldeans and Latins), 2,800 non-Catholic Christians (mostly Gregorian Armenians). Four Catholic Arch- 

 bishops govern the Melchites, the Syrians, the Armenians, the Maronites. The Gregorian Armenians are administered by 

 a Vartabet appointed by the Catholicos of Sis. Cf. S. Petrides in Catholic Encycl., New York, s.v., Aleppo. 



8 Bethlehem counts to-day 5 ,000 Latins, 100 Catholic Melchite Greeks, 4,000 Greeks and a few Armenians. The 

 Franciscans govern the Latin parish. The greater part of the Church of the Nativity is now shared by different Commu- 

 nions; while the choir belongs to the Greeks alone, the Grotto of the Nativity is open to the Latins, the Greeks and the 

 Armenians, who hold services there each in turn. Cf. S. Vailhe in Cath. Encycl., New York, s.v., Bethlehem. 



4 Where was that cemetery ? It must have contained Armenian tombs. 



