The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-04-06
TRAFFIC. IN SPURIOUS RELICS.
Good Reasons for Thinking that II
Has Not Exten ded 10 America via
New York


Good Reasons for Thinking that IL
Has Not Exten ded 10 America via
New York.
New York World.
Mr.. John A. McSorley, custom house
broker, has had charge of sll the custom
house business 10 this city the Catholic
clergy for the last thirty years and has OBJ
tanned the clearance Of most of the relics
imported into the country at that period.
Speaking of the cable dispatch published in
yesterdays World in regard to spurious rel.
les, he said that he had no idea how traffic
in such articles could exist. In the frs.
place, the sale or purchase of relics is
forbidden by the Catholic Church. A
clergyman who bought relic would
be liable TO communication. In the second
place, Mr.. McSorley said, no relic would be
accepted or yenerated unless its identity was
most conclusively established. Relics re-
ceived from the pope are stamped with bis
seal aud are accompanied by certificates
signed and sealed by him or by some on.
authorized TO act for him. Relics received
from other sources, such as churches or
monasteries, are required to have the seal and
certificates arc gwen with them by which
they can DO traced back to their original
owners. Mr.. McSorley gave the following
instance 10 show how relics are Transferred
About a year ago, when the mother superior
| OF the convent of the Sisters of Mercy at
Cincinnati was in Rome she begged from
the general mother of the order relic
that was in tho church of the order at Rome
II was granted to her after some difficulty,
ind about three months ago arrived in New
York, packed Ia two cases, the inner case
being seale. Certificates showing that it
had been in tho Roman church more than
one hundred years and tracing its previous
history were sent separately. These papers
were o, smined by Mr.. McSorley. Ifany of
the seals on the chest had been found broken,
an investigation would have been required TO
show how the break occurred. The examin.
alton would have been conducted by a
bishop. who, If the explanation was considered
satisfactory, would have affixed new seal.
bishop alone could break the seals TO open
the chest. Mr.. McSorley has in his posses.
sion ono ofthe copies on linen of the hsndker-
chief OF st. Veronica, containing the "True
Image lIe received 1t from an Italian
lady of noble birth who gave it to him in
return for services rendered at the custom.
house, 1t bears the Papal seal at the lower
right hand corner, Mr.. McSorev has a
certificate signed by the Cardinal Vicar to
tho effect that the engraving is true copy
and that the linen was touched to the oriei-
nal and to piece of the Gross.
AS to the second part of the dispatch,
which is TO the effect that collections of bones
purrorting to be remains of early martyrs
recently dug from the catacombs, had been
shipped to America, Mr.. McSorley said that
tho only relics no knew ofthat we're coming
to this country were tho remains of St.
Justin, which were expected In about two
weeks. They were obtained by the Rev.
MIR. Mollinger, pastor of the Church of the
Most Holy Name at Aleehany City, Pa. Mr..
McSorley said he did not believe that Father
MolliDger would be likely to be deceived in
such matter, or would accept tho relics
without making a careful investigation.
Plaid Ribbons and Silks of all colors at
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