386 EBRO-ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENTS. passes by the city of Tortosa, where there is a bridge of boats over it, and then falls into the Mediterranean, at the island of Alfachs; but, on account of its current and many rocks and shoals, it is navigable no higher than Tortosa, and even to that place only for small craft. Length about 350 miles. ECBATANA; the chief city or ancient metropolis of Media, built, according to Pliny, by Seleucus. It was the summer residence of the Persian and Median kings, and existed in great splendor at a very early period in the history of the world. It was situated on a rising ground, about 12 stadia from Mount Orontes, and 1200 stadia south of Palus Spauta. Its walls are described by ancient writers in a style of romantic exaggeration, and particularly by Herodotus and the author of the book of Judith. Daniel is said by Josephus to have built one of its most magnificent palaces, some of the beams of which were of silver, and the rest of cedar plated with gold. This splendid edifice afterwards served as a mausoleum to the kings of Media, and is affirmed, by the last mentioned author, to have been entire in his time. There are no traces now remaining of these lofty buildings; and even the site of this celebrated city has become a subject of dispute among modern travellers. It was pillaged by the army of Alexander. ECCE HOMO (Latin; Behold the man!). This name is often given to crucifixes and pictures which represent the suffering Savior, because, according to John, xix. 5, Pilate broke out in these words, when he saw with what patience Jesus suffered scourging. ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS. (See Courts.) ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENTS. In the following article, an account is given of the number of the clergy, and the expense of supporting the ecclesiastical establishments in some of the principal countries of Europe. In the Tableau de la Constitution Politique de la Monarchie Française selon la Charte, &c. par A. Mahull, is the following account of the French clergy: "The Catholic clergy, before the revolution, were composed of 136 archbishops and bishops, 6800 canons and priests of the bas choeurs, attached to the cathedral and collegial churches, 44,000 curates, 6400 succursalistes (a sort of curates, removable by the bishops), 18,000 vicars, 16,000 ecclesiastics, with or without benefices, 600 canonesses, 31,000 monks, 27,000 nuns, 10,000 servants of the church; total, 159,936. The Catholic population of France then comprised 25,000,000 souls. The clergy thus formed the hundred and sixty-eighth part of it. The possessions of the clergy then afforded, according to the statistical tables of M. César Moreau, 121,000,000 of the revenue. The French clergy, at the commencement of 1828, according to the documents collected by the editor of the Almanach du Clergé, comprised 5 cardinals, 14 archbishops, 66 bishops, 5 cordons bleus, of the order of the Holy Ghost, 468 vicars-general, 684 titular canons, 1788 honorary canons, 3083 curates, 22,475 desservans (who perform the duties of the titular clergy), 5705 vicars, 439 chaplains, 839 almoners, 1076 priests resident in the parishes, or authorized to preach or hear confession, 1044 priests, directors and professors of seminaries. The number of priests deemed necessary by the bishops amounts to 52,457, which would give for the present population of France, excluding the Protestant sects, one for each 550 souls. The total number of officiating priests is 36,649. In 1824, the number was estimated at only 30,443. Consequently, 15,808 are required to complete the number desired by the heads of the church. It is estimated, that 13,493 of the priests employed are over sixty years of age, and that there are 2328 whom age and infirmity render incapable of acting. The number of ecclesiastical elèves is 44,244, of whom 9285 are theologiens, 3725 philosophes, 21,118 are in the seminaries, 7761 in the colleges, 2355 with the curates. The whole expense of supporting the Catholic worship, according to the calculation presented by M. Charles Dupin, June 21, 1828, to the chamber of deputies, is 62,845,000 francs. Before the revolution, the possessions of the clergy afforded, as we have said, 121 millions, leaving a difference of expense in favor of the present system, of 58,155,000 francs, although the lower orders of the clergy receive a much ampler compensation than before, and the clergy are much more equally distributed among those whom they are to serve. In 1828, according to the Almanach du Clergé, the whole number of nuns in France was 19,340. De jure or de facto, there exist 3024 establishments of nuns, to wit, 1983 definitely authorized, and 1041 en expectative. There are but a small number of religious houses for males in France. The state of the clergy of Spain before the revolution is thus given in the Diario de la Coruna for July 1, 1821 : : ECCLESIASTICAL ESTABLISHMENTS. Archbishops and bishops, Canons and dignitaries, Parish rectors, Curates,. Other beneficed clergy, Religious men of the minor or ders, Hermitands, Servants, Sacristans, church clerks, Monks, Friars with shoes, Friars without shoes, Regular congregationists, Servants of regulars, Youths in their houses, Total, 17,411 9,088 180,242 387 62 Their contributions are as follow: 1. the 2,399 subsidio, or voluntary gift of £100,000 an1,869 nually; the excusado, or tithe, of the tenth 16,481 house or farm, originally appropriated for 4,927 building and repairing churches. Pope .16,400 Pius V allowed Philip II to apply the produce of this tax to his wars against the infidels. It is now applied to the ordinary expenses of the state. The king has the choice of all the houses and farms, and selects the most valuable; so that this tenth 3,987 may be considered equivalent to one 15,000 eighth or one seventh of all the tithes of 5,500 the parish. 2. The tiercias reales is a tax 13,500 of two-ninths of the tithes received by the 30,000 clergy. 3. The noveno, another ninth 2,000 part of the tithes annually paid to the 6,400 clergy. 4. The novales, tithes on land 1,800 newly brought into cultivation. 5. The 148,242 diezmos extentos, the tithe of all lands orig32,000 inally exempted from clerical jurisdiction. The whole of the above taxes are farmed. These, however, are not the only burden imposed on the clergy. It has for some time been the practice to oblige them to pay two years' revenue upon their The appointment to a new benefice. payment is made during a period of four years, being the half of each year's income; and, on the expiration of this term, the incumbent is sometimes removed to another living, to undergo the same depletory operation during another four years. In consequence of this policy, the Spanish clergy, formerly so wealthy, are now, in exclusive of tithes, and various other taxes many cases, but indifferently provided for, and dues for the clergy. The population and are daily becoming of less conseof Spain, in 1827, was estimated in Has- quence in the estimation of the people as sel's Historical and Statistical Almanack, well as of the government. Many of the published in 1829, at 13,953,959. The great dignitaries, however, are very rich. number of places of worship may be Next to the ecclesiastical principalities of 11,000. At the period of the Spanish Germany, the richest Catholic prelacies revolution, the cortes, by a decree of Oc- are found in Spain. The archbishoprics tober 24, 1821, introduced a new organi- of Toledo, Seville, Santiago, Valencia and zation of the Spanish church, abolishing Saragossa have larger revenues than any all the monasteries, excepting ten or in France, or any other country. Some twelve, declaring all gifts and legacies to of the bishops and other dignitaries, also, monasteries, churches and hospitals un- have very considerable incomes. The lawful, and curtailing the whole ecclesi- bishop of Murcia receives annually about astical establishment, so as to effect a £20,833 sterling, and the bishop of Lerida saving of forty-four and a half millions of £10,000. The possessions of some of the dollars annually to the nation, reckoning monasteries, particularly some of the Carthe annual expense of the church to the thusians and Ieronymites, include the nation, before the revolution, at six per greatest part of the district in which they cent. on the church property. But the are situated. These religious foundations, king, on his restoration to absolute power, while they depopulate and impoverish the October 1, 1823, immediately annulled all neighboring country, increase poverty and the decrees of the constitutional govern- idleness by indiscriminate charity. ment, and the ecclesiastical establishment was placed on its former footing. The Spanish clergy, however, contribute considerably to the support of the government. Estates of the secular clergy, 62,000,000 Real property, land and £186,500,000 £154,000 Naples, 7,576,000 (Of which the island of Sicily 1,660,000). £320,000 Corsica, 180,000 281,600 Italians, but detached from Italy. 16,170 20,400 5158 working clergy, averaging £170,214 £33 each, 4,000,000 of hearers, at £80,000 per million of hearers, This is, perhaps, the greatest instance on the continent of Europe of the abuse of church property: 311 comparatively idle churchmen possess themselves of nearly as much income as 5158 working clergymen, who, with scanty means of existence, labor in the ministry, and are the real spiritual pastors of the people. The richest benefices are considered a provision for members of the great families of Hungary. Any benefice producing more than £3100 a year, pays the surplus to the fund for the working clergy. Calvinistic Church of Hungary. Hearers, Clergymen, Places of worship, Clergymen, Estimated at one working clergyman for every 1000 persons (being more than in France, and less than in Spain), and 1000 dignitaries, as follows: 1 pope, 46 cardinals, 38 archbishops, 62 bishops, Estimated at one prelate for every 200,000 people, 853 other dignitaries, 19,400 working clergymen. 20,400 1,050,000 1,351 1,384 One clergyman for every 950 persons. One place of worship for every 1200 £776,000 One place of worship for every 750 people. One clergyman for every place of wor ship. Income-1383 clergymen, average £44 each, £60,896 1,050,000 hearers, at £60,000 per million of hearers, £63,000 This table is taken from Remarks on the Consumption of the public Wealth, by the Clergy of every Nation, &c. (London, 1822), and is said to have been framed with the assistance of a gentleman who had resided a considerable time in the great cities of Italy, particularly in Rome, and had given much attention to the subject. The following statements respecting Russia are taken from the Statistique et Itineraire de la Russie, par J. H. Schnitzler, Paris and St. Petersburg, 1829. The population is estimated estimated at 55,000,000. The clergy of Russia may be estimated at 230,000 individuals in actual service, of whom the cities comprise about 60,000; over 190,000 belong to the orthodox Greek church, inclusive of the lay brothers, the choristers, &c.; the Catholic clergy amount to more than 30,000; the Protestant clergy do not exceed 1000, and there are over 9000 Mollahs. These are all allowed to marry, except the Catholics. Nearly 200,000 are fathers of families, and the total number of persons connected with the clergy may be computed at 900,000. Their condition differs according to their rank: the metropolitans, the archbishops, bishops, and the archimandrites are rich; but the great mass of the clergy is poorly provided for. The monks are numerous, and are supported at the expense of the state; but their wants are few, and their manner of living extremely simple. The secular clergy, which is under the superintendence of the bishops, is divided into protohiereis or archpriests, hiereis or priests (popes), and deacons. The regular clergy, which is also called the black clergy (tchornoie doukhovenstro) comprises the archimandrites, the igoumenoi or priors, the igoumenai or abbesses, the monks (monachi), and nuns (monachini), and the hermits (poustynniki). The bishops are taken from the regular clergy, and any priest, who desires to remain attached to the ecclesiastical order after the death of his wife, must enter that body, and is then called a hiero-monk. The revenues of the clergy consisted originally of tithes; but, after it had come into possession of large landed estates, cultivated by boors, its support was derived partly from their produce, and partly from the raskolnitchii-prikaze, or tax paid by dissidents for the privilege of wearing the beard. The management of the revenues was in the hands of the patriarch, until Catharine I established a commission for the purpose, which was, however, supThe holy synod was pressed in 1742. then intrusted with their administration; and it appears, from an enumeration made by order of the empress Elizabeth, in 1746, that 839,546 male boors were attached to the estates of the clergy. These estates were secularized by Peter III, in 1762, who appointed a new commission for their management. Catharine II began by abolishing this board, and improving the condition of the clergy. In 1764, she secularized all the ecclesiastical possessions, reestablished the commission, and assigned a fixed revenue to the members of the clergy. The chambers of account, in the capitals of the governments, are now invested with the administration of these estates, the annual revenue of which is 389 There are in France about 9000 clergymen generally engaged in tuition, who have not employments in the church, but who render occasional and regular aid to the ministers of the churches; they are the remnants of the times before the revolution; their number is diminishing fast, and is not renewed. Taking these into consideration, there is in France one clergyman for every 830 persons. The following estimates are taken from the Remarks above quoted, as are also the preceding respecting Scotland, &c. Estimated Expenditure on the Clergy of the Established Church of England. IN ENGLAND AND WALES. Hearers, . Working clergy, (For full particulars, see Ecclesiastical Register, printed by Nolan, Dublin.) One place of worship for every 540 hear Places of worship, Clergymen, 6,000,000 8,000 8,000 £500,000 One place of worship to 750 hearers. Voluntary contributions at an average rate of £65 for each clergyman. 6,000,000 of hearers, at £85,000 per million, . £510,000 £7,600,000 . 7,596,000 6,000,000 of hearers, at £1,266,000 per million, Estimated Expenditure on the Clergy of the Established Church of England and Ireland. |