St. Paul daily globe., 1894-02-26
FR. CLEARYS DISCOURSE.
Hs SPEAKS ON "EX-P PRIESTS AND
ESCAPED NUNS"


fIHcheO r rom the ropes Garden
and Flung Over the Wall =
Judas iscariot, the First Ex
Priest = Ex-Priests SincesMar-
tin i.usher-Nscaped Nuns Are
Shameless Creatures.
Father Cleary discussed the subject
OF "EX-Pr!ests ana Escaped Nuns" OF
Labor Temple last night. His audience
was very large one, so large, i'll fact,
that the doors of the hall were closed to
the public before O'Clock. Many peo-
pie were turned away. In the course
OF his remarks, Father Cleary said:
The first cX-priest Ill the history uf
| the Christian church was Judas lScariot.
He was the unworthy one among the
chosen twelve who surrendered his
soul to the devil in answer TO the offer
Of the thirty pieces of silver. But un-
happy Judas had a lofty conception of
his sublime dignity as priest. In con-
tempt for his fallen state, he, in his
pitiabe despair. changed himself with q
halter"
His imitators in crime have often
sold their Divine Master for tempting
gold or alluring lust, and have fully
eQualed him in their sin, but none have
had such horror of their fall and such
| reverence for the dignity they dishon-
ored As to initiate Judas in the final
ending OF his sacreligious life.
Since Martin Luther broke his volun-
tary VOWS of obedience and chastity the
eX-priest has played an important and
shameful part in the history of opposi-
tiOn TO the Catholic church. No man
fal II dor
the priest who deSecrateS his sacred yo-
cation, for none are hOnUred by such a
lofty dignity as he. The greater the
dignity the more debasing the sinners
fall. If among the twelve chosen
by Christ himself to be his coli
slant companions, his favored friends,
who enjoyed the enyied privilege of
sharing his confidence and of coming
under the magic spell OF his divine in
fuence. one was found who proved un-
worthy, we need not marvel if in later
times an unworthy priest may some
times be found. Experienced men we'll
know that a priest never becomes an
'eX" from honest motives aud in order
10 lead more sanity life, and to devote
himself more faithfully to the welfare
of mankind.
The diShonorable part which the eX-
priest plays in publishing his shame
and degradation from public platforms,
and by systematic and skillfully
arranged lies. deluding too credulous
public, is the saddest sight presented
to shocked and scaDdalzed Christian
people. Our Catholic faithful rever-
ence the priestly office, BET cause through
its ministrations the mysteries of God
are dispensed. The minister of Christ's
holy religion is esteemed and honored
by Christian people because of his
sacred calling. When he has followed
the base example OF Judas in his fall he
deservedly becomes all object of pity,
or of the scorn and contempt of ali
honest men, because of his hypocrisy
and braZen disregard of common de-
cency. We Catholics are amazed that
intelligent non-Catholics so often be-
come the willing dupes of these shame
less liars. No one has ever heard a
Catholic who entered the Catholic
church from any Protestant sect abus-
ing and yilityipg the people or the
religion he had left.
'.The eX-priest does but trifing injury
to the church which has cast him out Of
her sanctuary, for his life and his lying
tongue but confirm the wisdom of the
church in banishing such unworthy
men from the Christian ministry. The
creature who deserves our heartfelt
pity for her fall and eXcites the loath-
ing of decent people because of her
shameless attempts TO poison the
public mind by her indecent
and pretended awful disclosures.
No woman who is member
of any religious community in the Cath
Ole church is ever prevented from
escaping" whenever she desires. If
her life is not conducted in conformity
with the lofty ideal of womanly virtue,
mcdesty. humility and obedience 10
rule, she will be very speedily assisted
in her escape" from the hailowed pre-
cincts of Ter convent home.
"Ex- priests and escaped nuns" said
Father OLeary, in conclusion, "are the
foulest weeds that are plucked from
the pOpe'S garden, cast over the wall of
the Catholic church, and, sad to know,
greedily gathered as flowers OF the
sweetest perfume by the enemies of the
church of God"