The Irish standard., 1901-06-29
SECRETS OF THE CONFESSIONAL.

In his graduating address at Yale, a
divinity student named Charles VOL
colt Merriam spoke on "The Present
Tendencies of the Roman Catholic
Church in America" From the tenor
of his essay the young man had evil
IDENTIFY been reading "Our Country by
Rev. Josiah Strong, and believed that
the republic is in imminent peril from
the Vaccinations of Roman theologi-
ans, with the Pope at their head.
Some of the charges made by young
Merriam in his evolutionary style may
have convinced his audience that the
Catholic church is standing menace
to American institutions; but the fact
is that what Merriam said was repe-
| tltlon i'll great part of what the had
read in sectarian books on "ROman-
ISM" He merely played the part of {,
parrot in uttering the sayings of others
in whose veracity he had confidence.
OF his own personal knowledge young
Merriam did not speak. Hence what
he said dcrogatory to the Catholic
church did not emanate from malice.
and therefore he should not be abused
by Catholics for misrepresenting their
cherished doctrines.
Young Merriam referred to the Cath
Ole confessional in the stereotyped
Protestant style. lie knows nothing
of it from personal experience and con-
sequently it is an object of aversion
to him. All he knows Of the confess
sional is contained in the following
definition OF it given in Webster's die
tionary: confessional is the recess,
seat, or inclosed place, where a priest
sits to hear confessions; often small
structure furnished with seat for the
priest and with a window or aperture
so that the penitent who is outside
may whisper into the priests ear with
out being seen by him OF heard by
Others"
Young Merriam had forgotten the
closing words of the detinltion-"with-
out being seen by him or heard by
others"-or he would not have accused
priests of revealing what is told to
them confidentially in the confessional.
1t is not necessary that the priest
should know his penitent in order to
absolve him from sin. 1t may be nee
essary for lawyer to know his client
and for a doctor to know his patient
but it is not necessary for a priest to
know his penltent. At the missions
given by fathers of the various relig-
ious orders in this country the people
who approach the confessionals are to-
tai strangers to them. How then can
they reveal the sins of their penitents {?
What would be their object?
When young Merriam said that "the
effect on the priest is bad, and it pre-
sents the temptation frequently Yield
ed to of abusing the confidence they
receive" he not only spoke INGRAM
matically but was guilty of SANDER.
There is not one instance recorded in
the history of the Catholic church dur
Ing 1900 years showing that any priest
has betrayed the confidence reposed in
him by penitent in the confessional.
There are instances, however, when
priests suffered penalties rather than
divulge the secrets confided to them.
In 1888 st. John of Nepomuc, in b.
hemia, was imprisoned and subsequent
" drowned by King, Wenceslaus for
refusing to reveal to him the confess
sion Of his queen, of whom he was zeal
GUS. Other cases could be cited, but
the following, which is related by the
Chicago American of June 10, in its
editorial on Merriam's graduating es-
say. will suffice at this time:
We shall not discuss with Mr.. Merri.
am the stand he takes. But we think
1t may be interesting to mention the
case Of the Able Bruneau, convicted of
murder in France some seven years