THE APOSTATE BISHOP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9775, 23 March 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE APOSTATE BISHOP.

A ROMANTIC LIFE STORY. There is no small indignation amongst Clericalist circles in Paris at the public reappearance of " the Apostate Bishop," Dr. Bauer, as the friend of the Lessops family. He was one of the bearers at the funeral of Ferdinand do Lesseps; but, as ho was in the dress of a layman, and wore a long, snow-white beard, none of his former colleagues recognised him as the ex-bishop. The story of his life would supply a needy novelist with an amazing hero and a series of almost incredible vicissitudes. Bernhard Bauer was a native of Buda-Pesth, and was born a Jew. When a student of nineteen years he took a lively part in tho March revolution at Vienna, and was honoured by being presented to Kossuth, who warmly embraced the promising young Republican. Soon afterwards Bauer went to Paris as a representative of the Vienna " Academical Legion" to the students of the French Republican capital. In 1851 he was at Baden, where he enjoyed the especial favour of Feuerbach, and resolved to take up painting as his caroer. On his way to Italy, where he had planned bo study in the art schools, he foil in with a French nobleman and his mother, who book a great liking to him, and used all their eloquence to bring about his "conversion." At their request, Bauer agreed to wear a " Mary medal" nexb his breast, and to use a Book of Devotions to the Blessed Virgin throughout the " Mary month," that is to say, May. Before the month was over the young Jewish art student and Revolutionist became a devout Christian, or, at leaeb, Marian, and declared that he had ah last found that for which he had all his life been hungering. Instead of remaining in Florence and Rome to pursue his art studies, ho wenb to Father Augustin, the Carmelite, also a Jew by birth, and once famous as Hermann Cohen, the pianist. Bauer took the vows of the order, and assumed the new name of " Father Maria Bernard, of the Moat Holy Sacrament." He wenb to preach ab local mission services in France, and in a very short time became one of the most popular pulpit orators of the aristocratic world. The devout Empress Eugenie hoard of him from her Court ladies, and insisted that he should be invited bo preach the Lenten course in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The Lent sermons of this strange adventurer made his ecclesiastical fortune. He became the favourite father-confessor of crowds of Court ladies, and the female Bnobocraoy of Bonapartisb Paris followed in bhe brail of the Court piety. Ab last the Empress herself chose Father Bauer as her confessor, and commended him eagerly bo the Pope. Happily for bhe French Church, the Emperor was not inclined bo advance him bo one of tho national bishoprics, bub Pius IX. made amends. to him by creating Baser * bishop of some tee- in partiim

in/tdelium, whose " infidel" inhabitants, of Cour9ej never saw their diocesan. The Emperor consented, however, that Bishop Bauer should officiate as the consecrating prelate at) the opening of the Suez Canal, and then and there Bauer delivered one of his sparkling orations before an audience of emperors, kings, princes, and diplomatists. From that time .Until the death of Lesseps, he appears to haVe remained the fasb friend of the master of that enterprise. The bishop became a power in the fashionable world of imperial Paris, and lived in magnificent style 'in the Rue Florentin, nob far from his friend Lesseps. His apartments were besieged daily with crowds of petitioners and place-aeekery, male and female. When the rotten Empire fell to pieces* and the Republic was erected, the glory and wealth of Monsignore Baiter collapsed. He nob only threw off his episcopal coat, but lie Withdrew from the Catholic Church. What argument produced his second "conversion," which was a* hidden as his firrtb " conversion," he did nob care to tell the world, nor did the world probably care to hear. All that Was known of the ex-bishop was thab he had become a man of pleasure, and was as passionately devoted to horse-racing as he had once been to preaching. The only reputable thing in his adventurous career soemß to have been his fidelity to Leseeps in his evil days as well as his flourishing time.