PRO-JESUITS AT LOURDES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 147, 22 June 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

PRO-JESUITS AT LOURDES.

EXTRAORDINARY INFLAMMATORY

SPEECH BY A PRIEST.

The Paris correspondent of the "Daily Mail," writing on May 1, says:

During- the immense Eoman Catholic pilgrimage to Lourdes Father Coube, in the course of an address in the open air to an audience of 60,000 men, used such violent language thai Bishop Schoepfer, fearing that his subordinate's eloquence might have unpleasant results, asked the crowd to refrain from applauding.

The Bishop's moderate counsels were, however, received with marked disapproval, and the angry multitude, shouting down the opposition, acclaimed the fiery orator more loudly than before.

Thus encouraged, Father Coube proceeded:—"There will only be two candidates at the approaching elections, Jesus Christ and Barabbas; Jesus Christ in the person of the Christians, or the partisans of Christian liberty, and Barabbas under different names: Barabbas the anti-clerical, Barabbas the Freemason, Barabbas the revolutionary, Barabbas the Anarchist, Barabbas the communard! Are you going to vote for Barabbas?" This and similar passages exhorting the faithful soldiers of the Cross to insist above all things upon the supremacy of the OhuTch were received with tumultuous enthusiasm and ci"ies of "Vivent les Jesuites!" and Mgr. Schoepfer again interfered. It is considered, however, that the Bishop only disapproves of the tactics of his subordinate, and that the doctrines enunciated by Father Coube are ■übstantially his own. The incident has attracted much attention, and it is said that a question will be asked in Parliament when the Chamber reassembles.