The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-11-02

that the ecclesiastical authorities will
come to her assistance by way of COM
penSatiUn for the misfortune which She
seems to consider that they ought TO
have averteG from her? L have known
Miss Pynsent for many years. havS re-
ceived many letters from her. have
visited her in Rome when she was at
the height of her prosperity. and also
when she was in the depth of adverSitg y
She is a lady of great talent and of
fascinating manners, with great power
of influencing others. / am bound also
to say that she has unlimited conf
denCe in herself. This has been the
rock on which she has been wrecked
although she cannot see it. The main
facts of her story are, | am sorry 10
say substantially true; but she has
omitted one circumstance which 1 shall
feel it my duty to meIStion. Her mis-
fortunes began with the flight of a rich
young lady. who had. contrary 20 the
warnings of her guardians, entered her
community. Her guardians had ar
ranged that she should not have the
control of her capital until she was -5
though she had power over the income
when she was 81 1t is q usual rule In
converts that the capital belcN ging To-
a Sister should not be touched until az
ter that Sisters death. In cases of ur-
gent necessity this rule is sometimes
dispensed with, too often with disas-
trous consequences, as in the present
case. 1t is always hazardous to count
ones chickens before they are Matched
As for the priest who was the guilty
cause of the loss of the heiress, no pun
ishment could be too severe for such
scoundrel But the difficulty in such
cases is to bring the guilt home to the
Culprit, by reason of the natural re-
pugnance of the poor victim to come
forward. 1 am not sufficiently aC-
quainted with the details to know how
far justice has misCarried in this case,
l only know that the young lady came
to England and got married. The in
QUESTION in such a case would probably
consider that the abbess had been
wanting in prudence and vigilance.
When l was in Rome in 1896 l used to-
hear severe comments made upon the
Way in which AbbesS Pynsent's nuns
were allowed to go about in public. I
must leave the Irish Augustinians to
defend themselves. But Miss PynseGt
ceDsures the ecclesiastical authorities
for not interfering to prevent the eX-
pulsion from the convent Your read
ers will be surprised to learn that Miss
Pynsent does not believe in the Chris
tian religion. She confided this 20 me
in May, 1900, but begged me not to let
anyone know. Early in this year she
wrote to release me from my promise
of secrecy, and said she did not care If
all the world knew her unbelief. Many
of your readers will not think ths worse
of the lady for being an agnostic, but
I think they will all acknowledge that
the Roman authorities of the Church
could not assist to avert the dispersion
and expulsion of community which
was presided over by an abbess who
did not believe in Christianity. l shall
be only too thankful if Miss Pynsent
can deny this statement, which ]
should never have made except in de-
fense of the ecclesiastical authorities,
and their policy of silence on her be-
half Yours faithfully.
"W. r. BROWNLOW,
Bishop of Clifton"