Litchfield enquirer., 1857-02-26
Degrading a Priest.

The case of Tcrgcr. who assassinated the late Archbishop of Paris, calls to mind the cer- emony of degradation, with which. priest was formerly visited before capital punishment could Dc inflicted on him. A French ordin- ance in 1871 was the last that prescribed thie
 terrible for'nality. In tho eighteenth century. on the refusal of the Archbishop of Ak to de- grade priest who had been condemned to death, the parliament of Ak decreed that for the future, secular justice could dispense with the degradation. The following are the prin- cipal incidents of the ceremony, which, accord ing to ancient authors, never failed to produce all immense effect on the spectators. On the scaf1old bishop took his scat on throne sur mounted by canopy, with his assistants seat ed near him, and opposite them was lay of. fcer of justice. Near the prclate was table on which were placed several of the sacred yes sels used in the church service, together with vases of wine and water, the Gospels, the Epis- ties, candelabre with an extinguishcd taper. the Book of Exorcisms, the Book of Lessons, keys, pair of scissors, piece of glass, and the vestments and ornaments which priest wears at the altar. The priest to be degraded was brought forward. dressed as layman, and with his hands bound His bonds were first of all removed, and on a sign from, the bishop he was dcokcd with the ecclesiastical costume, by the attendant priest The bishop then rose and holding his crozier in his left hand explain cd to the people the cause of the degradation The culprit afterwards knelt at the bishops feet and all the persons present bent in prayer. The bishop then pronounced sentence of dcgra. dalton in these terms:
 c In the name of the Father, the Sen, and the Holy Ghost-Amen. Wc--, having asccrtained that the crime imputed l., thec--. priest. has really be- T. committed and is to be justly punished and finding that this crime ia great. damnablc. and enormous and has not only offended Divine Majesty but agitatcd the whole country-we declare that, in consequence thou hast rendered myself unworthy of ecclesiastical functions and ecclesiastical benefits So tn ercforc, we by the authority of Omni potent God and by our own Power deprive thee now and forcv- CT of thy functions and benehcr., and we pronounce thy degradation according to the traditions of the canons. -.
 This sentence being pronounced, the bishop, receiving the criminal from the hands of the lay officer, scraped the palms of the criminals hands with the piece of glass, but withou. any effusion of blood, in order to remove from him the unct;on received at ordination. The ton sure was also scraped away n 0 similar man. ner. The priest present then placed in the hand of the cnlprt, water, wine, the consccrated wa fer but the bishop snatchcd them from him, saying "We take from thee or rather, we show to the reople that we have already taken from thee, the power of offering the holy sacri- flee to God, and of celebrating mass, either for the living or the dead" Next, the bishop scraped with knife or a piece of glass, the thumb and fingers of each hand of the culprit, and said, "By this scrapng, we take from thee the powcr of sacrificing and blessing. which thou hadst received by the unction of thy hands and thumbs" Next, the bishop dragged of the chausable from behind, and said, We just ly deprive thee of this sacred vestmcnt, which signifies charity, because thou hast deprived thys elf of innocerce." Then the bishop rcmov- cd the stole and said. "Thou hast disgraccfully rejected the sign of God, which is this stole {; and that is why VIC take it from thee and rem der it unfit for any sacerdotal purpose" The ceremony here ended, and the bishop and his attendants withdrew, with great pomp and pro- cession, thc spectators bending to the ground before them as they passed. ,>,..---,,-....