The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-10
CHURCH
UNDER BAN.
Action the ReSultOf a Scan-
dalOuS Row Between
Factions.

montreal, Sdn. Jan. IA church
scandal over the election of ward
en-, dividing the congregation of the
parish of st. Ignac-de.Loyola into
bitter contendlng factions, resulted
to-day in the formal act OF placing
the church under a ban, and with
such scenes and incidents attending
as are not recalled in the church
history of the Province Of Quebec
Painting women, men driven to hys-
terics and excitement unknown in
the execution of church discipline
were features in this chapter of
remarkable siege of contention.
The parish Of st. Ignace de Loy-
ola includes the little village of
Berthier and the surrounding
country. AS in all communities Of
the province of Quebec. the church
is the centre of interest and auth
ority among the people. and the re-
cent fight over the appointment of a
warden was consequently matter
of engrossing interest.
Jules Didace, the appointee, was
extremely Objectionable to large
element in the church. The ap-
pontment was finally taken into the
civil courts and thrown out. A
family meeting to discuss differences
arising was held in the church on
Sunday, December 81. The parish
priest, Father La Chappelle, pre-
sided, but the arguments became
so heated that the priest lost con.
troll over his own congregation.
The factions came to blows, and
blood was spilled in the church, a
desecration horrifving to all good
Catholics. The fighting factions
became furious mob, and Father
La Chappelle was driven from the
church. He fed tor his life to the
village and reported the matter to
Archbishop Bruchesi.
The feast OF the Epiphany, a
season of Joy and festivity in the
Roman Catholic Church, was anti
cipated with more than usual in.
terest this year, but when it be.
came known that solemn decree
would be read from the Archbishop
placing the church under ban,
gloom followed.
The ban was INFLICTED by Canon
Archambault. the chancellor of the
archiepiscopal palace of Montreal.
in the presence Of weeping, hys-
terlcal multitude of parishioners in
the Church Of st. Ignace de Loyola.
1t was read with much pomp and
ceremony and the excitement and
lamentation following, can scarcely
be pictured.
III voice trembling with anger,
Canon Archambault said to the pa
rishloners: 1sF
"You have offended the three tri.
bunals which every Christian should
obey. the tribunalso of civil authority,
OF God and of the Church. The
scandal is terrible. The newspa-
pels are full of it, and soon it will
be known in all corners of the earth
how Catholics here betray the
faith"
The excitement reached fever
pitch as Canon Archambaults scourg
ed them tor their disregard of
Christian authority. Painting wo-
men were removed when he said
they had turned God from their
church. In the future he said they
would do without the clergy; no
bells would toll, no high mass be
said.
When it was declared that no Of.
fees of the Church would be held,
not even those for the dead, the
canon was interrupted by a wall of
that arose and echoed
from wall to wall.
In the presence Of the congrega-
lion the church was stripped of all
The symbols and furnishing Of the
Roman Catholic Church. When he
tore the first decorations from the
high altar, men and women were
prostrate, protesting and weeping.
Then the host was removed amid
wailing and the chanting of the
'miserere. The church, save tor
The walls and seats, was soon bare
of everything.
The bells tolled as they were or
Tered to vacate the building. They
went forth as sorrowful multitude
and a panic followed at the entrance
Women fell in the aisles, and were
carried out through the side en-
rance. Mengathered without and
vept as the doors were locked and
he keys taken by Canon Archam-
oault for an indie finite period.