The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-11-22
The Stigmata.
THE CASE OF LOUISE LATEAU.

The German papers have for some months
been discussing the case of Louise Lateau, the
fasting girl, who has been declared to possess
miraculous gifts by number of the Catholic
newspapers a correspondent "a non-Catho-
lic), writing from jena, gives the following
information about her:
At the meeting of German naturalists and
physicians recently held in Breslau, Professor
Virchow delivered q speech on a subject which
has been no small sensation in many parts of
Germany. Some three years ago a book ap-
peared, entitled Louise Lateau, sa Vie, SEES
Extases, ct ses Stigmates" Not much notice
was at FIRST taken of it. This year, however, a
pamphlet was published by Professor Rolling,
of the Academy in Munster, entitled Louise
Lateau, die Stigmatisitte Won Bots d'Haine."
The work has reached its ninth edition, and
$4,000 copies have passed into circulation. 1t
states that the young woman to which it refers
was boin in Bots d'Haine, in the diocese of
Journals, a Walloon district of Belgium. In
her childhood she suffered much from illness,
and showed extraordinary zeal in the perform
ance of her religious duties In 1866 she be-
came subject to ecstaoies, of which shall
afterwards speak, and two years later, on the
21st of April, 1865, on Friday, Just at the
time when she had completed her noviciate in
the third Order of SAINT Francis of Assist,
stigmata-that is to say, marks representing
the wounds of Christ-made their appearance
on her body. They were received by her just
as similar signs were by Saint Francis and
other saints. They first appeared as red places
N,
issued. On the first Friday there were bleed
ings (Blutumgen) on her left side; the follow
ing Friday there were similar bleedings from
her feet and from her hands. Eventually, on
the 25th of September, spots appeared on her
brow which one could recognize as decidedly
similar to tkose a crown of thorns would pro
duce. We have stated that she had become
subject to ecsracier, generally occurring on
Fridays, and these still continue. While
under these influences she loses all sensibility
for the outer world. 1t is stated that she eau
not even feel electric shocks. She has extra
ordinary visions. More recently she has found
sleep and food unnecessary to existence, and
we are informed that for the last three years
she has only eaten a wafer daily and drunk
two spoonfuls of water weekly. During all
this time she has never slept. Such are the
facts which have been gravely recorded in the |
pamphlet, and the fact that it is written by "a |
professor" who declares he is unable to ex- |
plain the phenomena, has brought the story
under the notice of class of persons who are |
not likely to attach importance to contempo- |
rary miracles. Professor Rolling did not feel |
satisfied with the success of his pamphlet. He |
wrote to Professor Virchow as to q great physi- |
ologist, to ask him his opinion about this very |
remarkable phenomenon. In his letter he re- |
marked that the Catholic Apologetics lay
down the principle that a phenomenon may
only thus be treated as q miracle when science
has proved unable to explain it according to
fixed incontroyertible laws. The Guardian, q
leading paper of the extreme Roman Catholic
party, is 80 convinced that miracle has oc-
Cured that it also appeals to Professor Vir-
chow. 1t asks him why he does not make the |
phenomena the subject OF careful.stud and
tells him he would find occupation in the |
examination of this case as likely to promote
the interests of science as anything he conld do
in Sweden, or Norway, referring no doubt, to
his presence at an Archaeological Congress at
Stockholm. This, however, is not Professor
Virchow's opinion. He treats the case as one
of a class familiar to him. He does not think
it would be of 30 much service as the Ger1nania
believes to visit Bots d'Haine. He has been
sixteen or seventeen years physician to the de-
partment for sick prisoners at Berlin. and
knows very many kinds of stimulation. One case
has come under his notice of ceasinp to take
punishment, in which the whole supply of
food was consumed in an extraordinary man
ner. 1t has given him." he says "the greatest
trouble, even perfectly organized as his hos
pltal is, to trace out the tricks and shifts to
which such persons as Louise Lateau resort" I
Sill despite all the annoyance likely to result,
ne said he would not object to receive the girl
into ms establishment, and that he would look
carefully into her case which, he admits, has
become of serious Importance now that the !
'otporta5e is still carrying thousands of :
pamphlets on the subject into every village of ]
the Kline, and great part of the country is
n ferment about it.
There is nothing on earth SO beautiful as 6