The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-15 00:00:00

THE CONFESSIONAL.

TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION OF A CATHOLIC
PRIEST AT TURIN FOR THIRTY-THRBP
CASES OF SEDUCTION.
The Criminal Court of Turin has lately been
occupied with the hearing of a case which hoe
spread consternation and shame through many 11"',
the most respectably connected families in the
Sardinian capital, and contributed not a little t°
increase the feelings of dislike growing up of lot°
towards the Catholic clergy. When M. Michele'
publishes another edition of his celebrated work 01;
" Priests, Women, and Families," he will be enabled
to enrich it with illustrations far more telling 1111.(1,
effective than the propositions which he has WI:
down—illustrations to which it would be diffienl:
to find a parallel, we will not say in real life, but
even in the darkest pages of romance. For the
honour of the Catholic priesthood, for the honour 1"i
~
' religion, nay, for the honour of human nature itsel'i;
let us trust that the crimes just laid bare to the
gaze of avenging law and justice are no less 1111
wonted than appalling.
The trial which has excited such a sensation in
Turin was that of Don Gurlino, attached, in the
capacity of second curate, first to the church of Si"
Carlo, afterwards to that of the Carmelite order'
Amongst his regular professional duties were el
course those connected with the confessional, all"
these duties he violated in a manner so foul and se
atrocious that no less than 33 young girls vtoll11
appear to have fallen victims to his systematic all',
scientific profligacy. Not more than 40 years of age'
possessing a singularly handsome face and figure'
Don Gurlino combined with the natural influence
wielded over the mind of the youthful penitent by
a spiritual guide, the influence, not less natural, f
his own personal attractions. Both influences were
skilfully brought to bear in the exciting privacy
the confessional. All the opportunities which 1:1'
affords of gradually, yet surely, tainting the mind
were employed, and employed with too fatal a slle;
cess. The wretch was, it appears, in the habit 0'
accompanying oral temptations with the appliance°
and means of obscene books and lascivious prints, to
heighten and accelerate their effect. Working °I,:
lw
the passions by a graduated scale of literary a„
pictorial excitement, the curate of St. Charles ,
and the " Carmelites " could seize, for his inferno'
ends, the exact moment when the unsuspecting eorl'
fidence of girlhood prepared for him an easy prey.
Don Gurlino was at last detected by the veil
means which he had employed. The relations of a
young creature, one of his latest victims, found 111
her possession an obscene print, and insisted on her
telling them from whom she had procured it. The
girl refused for some time, but, yielding to their
menaces, stammered forth the name of her confes-
sor. She added that not she alone, but likwiee
several of her young friends, had received from D°ll
Gurlino immoral books and prints, and debauched 11
his arts, had yielded up their honour to their spiel-
teal guide. The relations at once communicated the
facts to, and deposited the print with, the district
police magistrate, who lost no time in communicating
with the higher law authorities, and these latter at
once instituted criminal proceedings against the
priest. Although the trial was conducted with
closed doors, enough of the evidence transpired to
fill all Turin with horror and indignation. 1111
guilty acts of the criminal appear to have extended
over a term of several years. The full extent 01'
his debaucheries during all that period canto!'
of course, be ascertained. One fact, however, le
beyond all doubt—that on the trial itself 33 young
girls bore testimony to the adoption towards the.ol;
selves of the wicked arts of seduction with which
the criminal stood charged.
On this overwhelming mass of evidence Don
Gurlino was found guilty, and sentenced by the
Criminal Court of Turin to seven years' solitarT,
confinement. The term of the sentence will pros
bably be abridged by natural causes. Shame, it neo
remorse, has already worked such fearful ravag
on the prisoner that on the last day of the trial he
longer recognisable.—Post.
Was hardly any