The Irish standard., 1900-10-27
A BOGUS EX-PRIEsT
Shows by a Canadian Paper to be
HypOcrite.

Snows BY a Canadian Paper to be
Hypocrite.
The Globe of st. John, N. B., shows
that "EN-Priest John Rannie' is a
fraud and a humbug. In its issue of
Sept. 90 it says:
The ease with which some of the
leading papers in the United States
can be fooled is again Illustrated in
the case of the philadelphia North
Americana" which the other day de-
voted column with big headlines
and a picture, TO an account of priest
who had given UP all to wed his
sweetheart" There can hardly be any
| doubt that the paper has been imposed
on.
The North Americans" article
deals with the career of the "Rev."
John Rannie. Here is an extract:
Born in the Province of New Bruins
wick, Canada, Father Rannie was
early destined by his parents for holy
orders. He was graduated from Dali
in the Holy Fathers Roman Catholic
School in Quebec. Four years ago
Bishop Rugerson ordained him priest.
For two years he devoutly performed
the duties of his sacred office, and
then he met his fate in the person of Il
beautiful American, divorce, who
Glanced to be visiting in Quebec. Love
triumphed over discipline, and after Il
brief conflict between love and duty
the priest threw aside his robes and
renowned his career.
1.-The woman, whose name is Withheld
for obvious reasons, returned to Provi-
dence, where she resides. and within
short period her priestly lover fol-
lowed, drawn thither by the great pas
sion of his life. This woman, we'll
known in the polite society of the New
England city, al first refused to allow
the clergyman 10 make the sacrifice,
but the priest met her expostulatons
by accepting Il call to the pastorate
! of Free-Will baptist church in Hal
flax. The living there was slender,
however, and the one-time priest
sighed for the supposed emoluments
| awaiting the successful pulpit orator
in the States. Therefore he gave up
his charge and after paying short
visit to his inamornta in Providence
he came on to Philadelphia at the So
licitatiOn of tllr Rev Samuel Glenn
rnts. When he left Providence he was
elated, for he had secured the promise
of his sweetheart to Il speedy mar
riage. Arrived here, he identified him
self with the work of Clements in the
Wesleyan Methodist Society in West
Philadelphia, " here he created no in
considerable excitement because of his
remarkable pulpit oratory."
There is moro of the NORTH Ameri-
cans story, and the Globe quotes it
and continues:
1t will be observed by this article,
furnished of course by Rannie himself,
that being destined for holy orders
i'll the Catholic Chuch he was gradual
ed from Dalhousie College "a Presby-
terrain institution and studied theol-
ogy in the Holy Fathers Roman
Catholic School in Quebec" which has
no existence No doubt "Bishop Ru-
gerson" is intended for Bishop Rogers,
and it is hardly necessary to say that
the Bishop of Chatham neither four
years ago nor at any other time or
dained Rannic. There can be no doubt,
too, that Rannie never was ordained
a priest, and it is improbable also that
he was ever a properly. accredited
clergyman of the Free-Will Baptist or
Methodist churches.
What, then, is the real history of
Father John Rannie?
That is not easily told, but it is pos
sible to narrate q few facts about Il
"Rev." John Rannie who visited St.
John last year. 1t will be remembered
that when Louis ]. King was carrying
on his crusade against the Pope In
Portland, addressing meetings on Fort
Howe on Sunday afternoons and meet
ings in Temple of Honor Hall in the
evening, he was assisted on a few oc-
casions by a Mr.. Rannie, who claimed
to be a converted priest, and who told
in narrowing language how he had
been prosecuted in New York. 1t was