PRIESTS MANY “WIVES”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25444, 27 January 1944, Page 6

PRIESTS MANY “WIVES”

SAVING GIRLS FROM JAPANESE

To save aboriginal girls from being sold to Japanese, Dr Gsell, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Darwin diocese, has, in the course of 30 years or so, acquired 150 wives, states a report in the Melbourne Herald. v As a young priest he established the first Catholic missions in. the Northern/ Territory. He hit on the idea of bespeaking his 7 ‘brides" when a young black girl sought his protection: from an alliance with an elderly relative according to the. marriage (rites of her tribe. Because of of the tribe Dr Gsell at first handed, her back to them, but she broke away again and asked for sanctuary. The. young oriest persuaded the armed warriors io delay their departure with their captive, and collected nicknacks with which he bought the terrified girl from tribe . * According to their law, she thus became his wife and property. From then on he bartered for all girl babies of the tribe who were to be given by the elders to Japanese pearling crews. He encouraged his protegees to.marry young men of their tribe, and thus the physical and moral standards of that particular tribe have *shown considerable improvement.