is a poor land; want of water, natural barrenness of the soil, and the economic difficulties of South Italy combine to make it so. But even in a poor district these Albanian villages stand out as poorer than any. They are also extremely dirty. Their poverty is reflected in their churches. Except at Lungro, the Byzantine churches seem almost abjectly poor and dirty; some are almost in ruins. I can agree to what Father Vannutelli says about them: "Often they plead as an excuse their poverty and misery. But this is not a sufficient reason; because, if they had a little more zeal, there would be more order and cleanliness. In villages one does not expect that the churches be rich or well provided; but at least let there be that decency which can be found with poverty."[1]
Nor is there enough care for their rite among the Calabrian Albanians. They are proud of being Albanians, and they despise their Italian neighbours. They are proud of their Byzantine rite as marking their nationality. They are always ready to explain that they are not just ordinary Latins, like the rest of us. But they do not take enough pains to present this venerable rite worthily. I do not mean that their uses are not pure Byzantine. That is true; we shall come back to the fact (p. 179); but as far as that goes, I think there is a good deal to be said for the special peculiarities of the so-called Italo-Greek rites. My point now is rather that, allowing for their local customs and special traditions, they do not, even so, celebrate their services with sufficient reverence. Even for Southern Italy their churches are too dirty and their ceremonies too carelessly done. However, things are now gradually getting better. Influence of the Greek College at Rome and of the admirable college at Palermo, the growing interest in liturgical study on all sides, the special interest so many students have in this remnant of so great a tradition, all these affect the Albanian clergy in Calabria, so that many of them are now anxious to do things better.
Across the water, in Sicily, there is also a group of Albanian colonies. The impression made by these is more favourable in every way. In Sicily we have first Palermo itself, then five villages to the south of the city. The Albanians have a church at Palermo since 1547. Their colony here is not very great nor important in itself; but at Palermo is the seminary where the clergy are educated, and the seat of the ordaining Byzantine bishop for Sicily. The seminary was founded by Father George Guzzetta of the Oratory, who in various ways
- ↑ Op. cit., p. 144.
