The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-02-08
Wesds in the Pope's Garden,

A LONG STORY comes from Kansas
/ n City. which we lind republished i'll
the Butte Miner. containing all
the details of a love affair between a
Crotian priest and an adventures
whom he secretly married. The cere-
mony was performed by a probate
judge at St Joseph. Mo. Accord
| ing to the priests story. after the mar
rage the woman refused to live with
him unless he presented her $1,000,
which he had in bank. as guarantee
that ne would not cast her off. and
as a condition for keeping the marriage
secret for two years, or until he fin
ished building his church. At the end
of that time, the priest told her, he
would renounce the priesthood.
The name of this unfrocked priest is
Anthony Politeo. Both the woman and
her lawyer frankly admitted that she
married the priest for his money, and
suit is brought for divorce and ALI
mony.
The story is garnished with al the
elements of yellow literature, much Of
it contributed by Polfteo himself in de-
scribing his amours with and
passion for the woman, thereby
exhibiting his poverty of re-
morse for an act which degrades
him in the sight of God and man. Ac
cording to the story of his life, the
facts" being supplied by Politeo to
the sensational newsgatherer, this Gro
tan priest was a remarkable man, and
gave the vatican much uneasiness by
reason of his transcendant abilities as
ali orator. His fiery speeches for revo-
luton through socialism got him in
trouble in Italy and Austria, and the
vatican at last made ''Overtures" to
Politeo to desist, but he would not
Finally he was communicated, but
the report goes on to say that after
arriving in America he put up such
vigorous fight for reinstatement into
the Church that ne was finally success
full"
Examples like the one just furnished
by this fallen Crotian priest are so very
rare among the Catholic clergy that
no wonder the sensational press rolls
it about like a delicious morsel. The
scandal is so important as a news fea-
ture that over three columns are taken
up in telling it. Scarcely a month
passes by without finding in the daily
press paragraph or two alleging liza
sons of ministers with the other sex.
But these are only common, everyday
parsons, and the news eXcites no more
comment than any ordinary criminal
event When it comes to catching a
priest, then your reporter strikes luck.
He has all the elbow room he needs
and is given carte blanche to make the
story as racy as a dime novel.
So far from feeling the humiliation
which the publicity of such a scandal
would bring to any man not destitute
Of decency, this unfrocked priest takes
advantage of the notoriety it arouses
to advertise a course of lectures against
The faith he taught his people,
the Church which cast him out be-
cause of his conduct and against the
venerable prelate who burst into tears |
when he heard of his crime. Politeo |
will be another Chiniquy, and when he |
leclaims against Rome and its idola- |
.rous mission, bigots of both sexes will |
him and the a. P. A. will adj |
nit him to full membership. The di- |
-orce court will free him from his Sc
ret alliance with the adventures and |
give him choice of any susceptible |
lame in the Sunday school Thus will |
ooliteo get even with the vatican
That good old Episcopal churchman
Ind Irish wit, Dean Swift, said when
he pope found weeds in his garden he
brew them over the fence, but the
ects came along and placed them in
lower pots. 1t may be Politeo's luck
@ flourish in flower pot-at least, for
while.