The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-06
Modern MiracIe..
From the Chicago Trlbuae.l

.-. Modern Miracles.
From the Chicago Trlbuae.1
We have been treated to large doses Of
the supernatural during the last few years
The manifestations have been arbitrarily
clsssed as Of the devil or Of the Lord, &C,
cording as they were wrought by persons
outside or inside the Roman Catholic
Church. When the closets of the Mo
ravian settlement at Bethlehem swarmed
with ghosts Of blood. bedsbbled heads
and shades of clutching hands, "demoni.
acal possession" was the ready explana-
lion. And, in truth, the inane tricks oil
the average spirit,-the drumming Of
guitars, and Carrying Of handkerchiels,
and laying on OF hands,-are too utterly
frivolous TO be ascribed 10 any very lofty
source. Yet the devil must be wondrous:
ly stupid II he busies himself In such WAYS,
The miracles Of today are, however, but
little better. Why should the Virgin Mary
float around in the air over q certain
spring Or why should the Holy Spirit in
the shape oil white dove, enter cathe.
dral and fly around the head ofa priest who
denounces the seizure OF Rome by Italy :?
Surely, these are very trifliug miracles,
scarcely better than none at al. Yet
mark the Commotion they cause. A sick
child isncies she sees the Virgin lowering
over the Grotto Of Lourdes. She tells
her innocent fiction. Prestol up goes a
chapel and down GO the pilgrims, hasten
ing from every part Of France. Special
trains are run for them. The engines are
dccked with crosses. There Is a National
Assembly excursion. The devout depu-
ties sing, on their journey, hymns to the
Virgin and Henry the Filth, 10 Heaven
and France. It Is curious politico re-
ligious affair. Fancy a Congregational
excursion 10 place whore q diseased
girl thought she had seen God, with sing.
ing OF hymns In the French fashion:
Praise God from whom oil blessings dow,
And Grant, our patron hero below.
Miracles have been most common on
French soil. National humiliation and
the fancied persecution Of the Church
have put the common people into rest
less state oil mind that gives ready evil
dence to reports oil great deeds wrought
by Heaven to comfort France or Rome.
Moreover, the clergy have hitherto en-
couraged such a belief. A girl in San
Francisco announced, some time since,
that her body had been miraculously i'm.
pressed with the stigmata. The marks
were there, sure enough. Crowds came
to see this palpable miracle. But the
Catholic Bishop OF that diocese, like a
wise man, set q feminine detective TO
watch the. girl. She was soon caught
picking the skin off her hands and feet
with her nails. The miracle collapsed.
There was similar case In Germany.
The most noted of the French clergy,
Bishop Dupanloup, who lett the French
Academy when 1t admitted rank infidel
10 its sacred circle, has learned wisdom
by the experience of his German and
American brethren, and has turned inf
del himself, so far as miracles are con-
cerned. He has written o pastoral letter
strongly condemning that craving Tor the
wonderful which marks sensational re-
ligion. He quotes the saying Of Pho Mono;
II do not give much credit 10 prophecies,
because those In particular which have
been recently produced do not deserve to
be read" Yet the Pope's children donot
here agree with the Pope. A book writ
ten In support Of q prophecy-that the
world was to end on the nth Of February
found 10000 buyers in France. 1t will
be seen that prophecy psys,-as, indeed,
DR.. Cummings has already found. II
would haYe cost him much money Il the
last trumphad been blown at the time he
first fixed for 1t. Each Of his failures in
prophecy has given him a chance TO write
a fresh book, containing the very
latest news about the final grand
transformation scene. Each chance has
been improved, and each book has found
numbers Of credulous readers. Miracles
pay, too. 1t Is an excellent thing Tor q
priest to have one happen in his parish
Fresh interest Is taken In religion; more
masses Shaye to be said; gifts are more
frequent. 1t adds, TOO, TO mans i'm.
portance TO have God personally help
him to caro- Tor the souls committed to his
charge. Then rivalry between parishes
comes In. Why should Lourdes have a
sacred spring, and not Pau? And 40
Pau gets one forthwith. Nothing easier
Put weak-minded girl In lonely spot
tell her stories Of Divine appsritions, and
set her praying to the Virgin Mary 10 ap
pear now. She will surely believe her
prayer has been answered, Judiciou;
advertising and special railway rates FOL
pilgrims will do the rest. Bishop Du-
panloup may write pastoral gUlore, buI
they will not stop false miracles. Secular
education Is the one thing that will dc
that, and: the Bishops Church does no
believe in such training.