Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-13
LOOK ON THIS STORY,
And Then ON This-And Take
Your Choice.
WHEELING, October 10.


In your Sunday column" ofthis morn
ing's REGISTER appears the following par
agraph:
"a struggle recently took place IN
Rome over a dying Protestant convert
between DIR. Ribetti, Il Waldensian pas
tor, and Catholic priest. Francheschl,
the sick man, requested the ministra-
tions of DIR. Pibetti, while his wife
wanted him to have the priest. She
drove DIR. Ribetti of, and the priest
took his place. Ribetti secured, in writ
ing, the declaration of FrancheschI that
he was a Protestant, and called on the
city authorities for protection. The
priest installed himself by the esick mans
bedside, and, invoking the police, had
Ribetti put out of the house. Nom
Catholic Journals express great indigna-
ton at the violation of the liberty OF
conscience"
had hardly laid down your paper
after reading the above before the
letter carrier brought me the last issue
of the Catholic Mirror and the first thing
that struck my eye was an account oil
the incident. you refer TO, which gives
rather a different coloring 10 the matter,
and feel sure your love OF fair play
will induce you to make room for a
hearing of the other side. The extract
to is as follows, viz:
A REPENTANT APOSTATE-wHEN A MANS
on HIS DEATH BED lie WANTS TIE
TRUTH.
An artisan named Giovanni Frances
chi, aged 90 wears, living in Via Giulla,
No. IL, within the Parish OF Sta.
Caterina della ROta, in Rome, was seized
last month with mortal disease. Ten
wears ago this man was so unfortunate
as to yield To the temptations OF the So
called Evangelical Protestants who en-
tered Rome after the breach of POrta Pla,
and he became an apOstate. Ills re-
latiOns, finding him on the point OF
death, besOught a distinguished prelate
who resided i'm the same house 10 vlslt
the sick man, and urge him tO make his
peace with God. Monslgnor Francesca
Marsilli did not refuse this request, but
willingly went to the sick mans bed,
and found him repentant and anxious
for reconciliation with the Church.
After the invalid had made his abjura-
ton he received the Sacraments OF Con-
iession and Holy Communion. When
the Evangelical ministers heard OF
the sickness and conversion OF their
proselvte, their indignation was
and they determined to make
an attempt TO induce the dying man to
retract his abjuration, and four OF them,
including the notorious Ribetti, went To
Via Giulia to try to force themselves
into the house where the victim lay.
On the afternoon of Sunday, September
Ii, two charitable ladies', friends OF the
sick mans family, rs the priest OF the
parish was temporarily absent, went to
Father Bennicelli, dei Mu'istri degh n
fsrmi, and parish priest OF Sta. Maria
to ask, him to go the sick
man. Father Bennicell was unable to
leave his house, being stricken with ie-
yer, but deputed another priest to act
when requested in his stead. On the
following morning two respectable
young men called on Father Benni-
eelli TO ask the immediate assist
lnce of priest, and one was ut
once sent to visit the sick man,
and was replaced soon afterwards
by the Very Reverend Father Frances
co Risi, Father Risi had no sooner ar
rived when the four sO-called evangell-
Gals entered the sick man ) bed chamber,
and ordered Father Risi To 90 away.
Father Risi said he had sent fOr by the
sick mans family, AMI would not 20
away. Thereupon the four evangelicalS
resorted to violence in order TO eject the
priest, but the friends OF the dying man
and the persons residing in the house,
hearing the uprOar, entered the room,
and were proceeding to treat the four
"evangelists' with scant courtesy, un-
Ill soldier who happened To reside IN
the same house put on his uniform,
and quieted the tumult by order
ing, in the name of the law, the four
Evangelist" to depart. This they did,
to the great comfort OF the sick man,
who had repeatedly, during the tumult,
begged 10 be left alone with the priest.
To guard against further annoy ance, the
wife of the diving man sent 10 the Ques-
tura for protection. The QueStura re-
piled that no aid could he rendered un-
less the wife made written declaration
that her husband deSiredto be attended
by a Catholic priest and no other. She
quickly made the required declaration,
and Delegate of QueStura went TO the
house, informed himself OF the true
state OF affairs, and placed aguard in uni
form at the door, with orders to
give assistance to the family and
allow no Protestant ministers to
intrude upon the poor man. While
one OF the Fathers dsi NnGSri d'Jti In
fsrDlj remained constantly by the sick
mans side, and an agent of the Public
Security kept guard at the door OF the
house, the four SO-Called evangehCalS
walked up and down the street, watch
ing ior an opportunity OF again disturb
ing the peace of the dying man. But
good lookout was kept, not only by the
policeman on guard, but by the friends
and neighbors Of the family. On the
morning Of the 18th the poor man. died,
having been reconciled with the Church
Of his fathers. and having received the
Viaticum and all the consultations OF the
Catholic religion.
Having the two stories side by side |
am quite content 90 leave your lntelll-
gent readers To Judge which is most
likely 10 he the correct version.
The idea Of a Catholic priest trying to
force the last sacramentS OF the Church
on one protesting against her authority
must make your Catholic readers smile.
like the Sunday Column feature
of your paper, and hope you will con-
tinue the same. A CATHoLIc.
Fifteen Thousand Dollars Stolen.