The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-07
HAD TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF.
Pope Also Had to Prove He Was Alive
Queer Incident I'm HIS Life.

Queer Incident I'm HIS Life.
One Of the curious incidents of Pope Leo's
career was the outgrowth of circumstances
whereby, early in 1898, the Pope was COM
PEELED to assure the Catholic world that he
was alive and that he was himself. Early
in February of that year the Propaganda
Eide sent out circular warning Catholic
people against accepting as authentic the
statements appearing in a paper then re-
Gently issued in Rome, called La Petit Mon
iteur de Rome. In doing this the Vatican
authorities exposed a fraud which might
have become serious as that of Diana
Vaughan and her revelations of the devil
worshipers. The Contessa De Saint-Arnaud,
woman whose history reads like a page
from one of Dumas's romances. had just
issued paper in Rome called LIE Petit
Montteur de Rome, the avowed purpose of
which was to prove that the occupant of
the papal throne WAS not Cardinal Pecci,
the Leo XIII. rightfully elected by the con-
clave OF cardinals, but monk skillfuly
masquerading to resemble the true Pontiff.
Leo XIII, the contessa averred, was i'm
prisoned about ten years before because of
the noeraiity of his attitude toward the
Italian government and his espousing of
certain modern ideas antagonstic to the re-
dictionary element Of the College of Car
dinals. The Pope was, she said, imprisoned
which he occupied in the Vatican palace
and but two persons knew the intricate
winnings which led to his prison. He had
his fellow-captive the long lost Arch
duke John of Austria, who was held by his
enemies for similar political purposes. This
scion of royalty was, as il wei known en-
tirely out of joint with his time. and on
more than one occasion was threatened by
the Emperor Francis Joseph with arrest
for high treason. He disappeared about
seventeen years ago, and the published
statement or COnteSSa Arnaud that he was
confined in secret dungeon of the Vatican
caused quite sensation in European cir
cles.
Wild and impossible as these accusations
appeared, the contessa counted her belieV-
ers by the hundreds, and so plausible was
her story, backed by all manner of sworn
documents purporting to come from Mon
signori, one time in the pontifcal service.
that she collected amounts to aid i'm liber-
ating the imprisoned head of Christendom
Inc vatican authorities were intensely an
noyed because OF the name she gave her
organ, lie Petit Moniteur de Rome The
Moniteur de Rome was at one time the Of
hcial publication of the Pope IL was sus-
pended by the Italian government about
nine years ago. but as there had been some
talk or re-establishing ii the Vatican alI-
thorities feared that the hostile utterances
or the contessa might gain credence in some
quarters, owing to the similarity of the
name.
The comtessa is a well-known character
on the continent. She is the daughter of
the late Duke of oMdena and lady of his
ing house of Bavaria. The Duke was of
Austrian parertage and connected collater-
ally with the Hapsburgs. He was brother
in-law of the late Count de Chambord the
pretender TO the French throne known
among the legitimists as, eHnry "
The mother Of the contessa died at her
birth, and she was brought up by her aunt
the Princess Massimo, in Rome Here the
young girl was great social favorite She
was pretty and vivacious and according to
rumor counted her admirers by the score
tent to be for many years the most admired
of the many bellies at the then brilliant
pontifical court. During the regime of
Cardinal Antonelli. the secretary of state
for Plus TX, the home Of the Princess
Massimo excelled all other Roman palaces
for its lavish entertainments and frequent
ly the entire court Of Plus was entertained
by herself and the charming young Con-
tessa De Arnaud. But the contessa liked
gorgeous raiment, and this was the cause
of her undoing. The Duke of Modena died
simo felt obliged to curtail her magnificent
mode of living, since her young niece was
portionless. But the contessa refused to
give up her pleasures. and when, contrary
to her aunt's orders, she bought jewels and
dresses lavishly as heretofore, the Princess
Massimo put her out of her house and
publicly disclaimed all responsibility for
her debts.
Thrown on her own resources, the con-
tessa soon began to live on her wits. Aided
by some clerical friends, to whom she had
been known in her palmy days. she went to
France to start a oOnventual foundation.
This is famous in church annals as the
scandal of Loigny, and is considered one of
the most unfortunate episodes from which
the Catholic Church has suffered in this
century. The contessa received into her
convent adventures and women craZed
with religious fervor. Several priests, who
had been suspended from their functions,
were appointed chaplains. The promoters
of the scheme claimed that the most mar
velous supernatural visitations were of
daily occurrence, and that miracles could
the most distant parts of France made pill
grimages to the Convent of Loigny, and 1t
became so notorious as the Angel Gabriel
Vistations," recently the vogue in Paris.
Finally the police raided the place and ar
rested several of the inmates. Pope eLo
XIII issued a bull of communication
particularly naming the Contessa de Saint
Arnaud.
1t was at this juncture that the contessa
flung defiance at the church by making the
charge that Leo XIII had no authority TO
excommunoate any one, since he was only
an anti-pope, having imprisoned the true
successor of ST ePter. This story gained
wide circulation in France and many be-
lieved it. Some of the contessa's victims
who made liberal contributions repented
their credulity and had the lady arrested
for obtaining money by false pretenses. She
had as accomphce man called the
Duke of Bustello, who was proved in Paris
to be a convict who escaped from Hon.
duras Both conspirators were convicted
and served two years in the penitentiary of
Toulouse. They were released late in 1897,
and as the contessa seemed TO have collec-
ted sufficient money before her conviction
10 start her journalistic enterprise, she ar
rived in Rome about the middle of Janu-
airy, 1898. and opened her propaganda "Of
Liberation" After two issues OF her paper
had appeared the Propaganda Eide issued
its circular calling calling the attention OF
the Catholic world 10 the fraud. The con-
tessa soon after disappeared from Rome,
and was last heard of as being involved
in a political scandal in Buda- Pesth. If
she Is vet living she is between fifty-five
and sixty Years old. and is described as