PRIEST FINED FOR REVEALING A SECRET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11430, 21 July 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

PRIEST FINED FOR REVEALING A SECRET.

A LOVE STORY NOT COVERED BY

CONFESSIONAL. A very interesting case in which a priest has been fined for revealing secrets intrusted to him in his capacity of priest, though not in confession, has just been decided in the Paris courts. .

M. Le Game, whose religious name is Father Elysee, of the Franciscan Older, while preaching some years ago in the chapel of the Franciscan Convent it Paris, made the acquaintance of a young governess, Mile. Vecile Lendet.

The acquaintance led to correspondence between the two, which showed the priest what a deep impression his eloquence had made on the young woman, and showed Mile. Leudet to what an extent Father Elysee was infatuated with her. Mile. Leudet, fearful of the consequences of this correspondence, had recourse to the advice' of Abbe Breton, who had formerly been her confessor, and with whom she had kept up friendly relations. As the result of Mile. Leudet's conversation, Abbe Breton wrote a letter, signed ; ' Vive Jesus," to Father Elysee, in grave and dignified terms, reminding him of his dirty as a priest, and urging him to make the sacrifice of never writing or seeing Mile. Leudet again. Father Elysee replied to the Abbe's letter, informing him that he had resolved to make the sacrifice required, and telling him jr. detail how his relations with Mile. Leudet had begun, and grown. He also described the platonic nature of these relations and assured the Abbe that his intentions had never been otherwise than pure. The correspondence between the monk and the governess appears to have continued, and subsequently the Abbe informed the monk's superiors what was taking place, and, in consequence, Father Elysee was severely reprimanded. On this Father Elysee declared his vocation gone, abandoned the order and retired to a refuge for Unfrocked priests at Sevres. After three years he prosecuted Abbe Breton for violation of professional secrecy in informing the superiors of the Franciscan order of .-his relation with Mile. Leudet. The Abbe Breton in defence said that what Mile. Leudet told him was not under the seal, of the confessional, and that therefore he was free to use the information as duty seemed to dictate,

The Public Prosecutor, in summing up, advised a conviction, on the ground that in jurisprudence priests were subject to rules of professional secrecy apart from the confessional by reason of their sacredotal character and functions.

Recognising, however, the good faith and honourable, intentions of the Abbe, he recommended a very moderate application of the law.

The court took this view oi the matter, fining the Abbe Breton 200f., and sentencing him to pay If. damages to Father ElyBee,