THE SEAL OF CONFESSION.

Evening Star, Issue 14627, 25 July 1911, Page 6

THE SEAL OF CONFESSION.

The action which was biought by Father Bricarclli, a Jesuit, against the young' prittt Verde.s.i, who has lately left the Church and joined the Methodists (says •The Times'."' Pome correspondent), was for having publicly accused him of violation of the seal o>* confession.

Verchsi bewail his rcli.-ious career as a novhe in a Benedictine convent. Tiling of the life, he ran away, and was ! c:M by hi:- family, after some days, with th:; TviethvHiisis. He repented of this t>< apade, and relumed to the con-win., which, however, not long afterward.-, advi-ni his removal, fiince he showed no ap'iiude or vocation for monastic life. Hi- was then admitted to the Komar. fflsiir,: y, and in due course or.-bim d a p<]••-;. Father Bric;;re!!i, who had befriended h:ia throughout, was for some time hi- and remained hi? friend afiei i&l'. tlie year in which VercJe-i, removed 10 ;-ome distance from Rome, ce.".s.-d to tome to him for confession. On one oua.-ion in 1908, when Verdefii was paying ■' vi.-it to Father P.ricaielli. t'.u-ir . mivi r.-ation fell on the Modernist movement, and Verdesi |k> t rayed so mm hj b'.owb.'ge of what was aetiiallv </-1i;i■ - <>:■■ amo. _' the Modernists that. Hnvai.J!:"- -/-pi : n ''. < ■'■■ aionsed. Pressed lor an ■ >.oi .::a\.i. \ i idesi admitted tin;: he :!':-: '■'■'' '--■'■■ d '■■'■ "}' Modernist - «:■. ><•■ :,dly terms wit!, ihe !c:ci«i-. ;i. ■..-.. -.a.' a .ejr sensational :.. - r ■■: ■ f la i:' ii'-nn-'e used by the M.-;h :;-. i:i rlia hj tig '.he alltboriiv of tie : '<>■■•■:■■'' ■ , . . ■ Fatiet Hi !.-«.■■!:;. an.: ; .nng mm for Invin- h-.MI anything ■ ■ « n<i these people, insisted upon \eih.-i doing hi* dulv as a local p.h fit and denouncing those wln'i were dwJoval. Verded complied, and signed a deport en drawn up according to his own in:or!i;ct)0!). in which certain priests -Fun-: m> Ikmaiai. Nicola Tuielei, d-iii'o F.wi, t):to,'ino Goppa. and others--were' acrirscd of Modnrdst propaganda. Father Uricsrelli now drc'.ares that this exposition, upon which the Church authorities afterwards act.d, suspending the ac-cn-r-d piiests. was not made in any way as ; i confession; That Voidest, tit fact, irul fe.r some time -one for confession to another priest ; ami, lim.L'y, tl.-i was coenLant «»' the u; ; e i;> wlncr, the deposition would be put, and made no oh ice! ion. , , Ve'-desi, however, sains to have lerented again. It- is Mg-eM,xI that Iho ,aus,e of his second i-epentai.ee uras his failure to obtain a post in th« \aU,:an. In a:u- ease, he discarded Ids pn"sU robes and tool: refuge with the lie .hold's at whose instigation, apparently, hj« launched his acruf.it.on against Father I'.ncaichi and the Poi*. who, he declared,, had jointlv violated the seal of confusion m making us of bin deposuion. Verd.'M wae declared gmlty of an unfounded cahmmy, but with exUmuai-mg circumstam:«:, aJ ,d w;i* condemned ~» p a fine ' 833i'r (£33), and mwK-> iO tnoni 1, ' nnpi-i-somnerit. ■Y),',: indict 6 ear,a to have given general witisfaction, as very little sympathy was felt with Verdesi even in the most libetal quarters. ________^m~~