Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-19
RELIGIOUS WORK OF
A POLISH WOMAN UNDER BAN

able brethren. the cardinals Of the general
inQuisition. we had decree issued. under
date of September 4. 1904, suppressing the
above-named society of priests and COM
mahding them to break of honestly all
relations with the woman. But the priests
In question, Notwithstanding that they
signed document expressing their subtec-
ton to the authority of their bishops, and
that, perhaps. they did. as they say they
did, partly break off their relations with
the woman. still failed to abandon their
undertaking. and to renounce sincerely the
condemned association. Not only did they
condemn their exhortations and inhibitions,
not only did many Of them sign an auda-
cious declaration in which they rejected
communion with their bishop. not only in
more places than one did they incite the de-
luded people to drive away their thus lawful
pastors, but like the enemies of the church.
asserted that she had fallen from truth
and Justice. and hence has been abandoned
by the Holy Spirit, and that to themselves
alone. the Mariavite priests. was 1t divinely
given to instruct the faithful in true piety.
Nor in this all a few weeks ago two Of
these priests came to Rome-Romanus
Prochiewsky and James Kowalski, the lat
ter Of whom Is recognized in virtue Of some
kind OF delegation from the woman re-
ferred to. their superior by all the men,
tition alleged by them to have been written
by the express order of our Lord Jesus
Christ, ask the supreme father of the
church the congregation Of the holy
ONCE III HIS name u ISSUE ID uOCuueul COI1-
ceived In these terms:
4 4
That Maria Francesca {the woman men,
toned above) has been made most holy by
God; that she is the mother of mercy for
all men called and elected to salvation by
God in these days, and that all Mariavite
priests are commanded by God to promote
throughout the world devotion to the most
bol1 nd IN no ssad
Mary Of Perpetual Succor, free from all re-
striction Of ecclesiastical or human law or
custom. and from all ecclesiastical and hu-
man power whatsoever
From these words we are disposed to
believe that the priests in question were
by ignorance and delusion. like those false
prophets of whom Ezekiel writes: They
see vain things and they foretell lies, say
ing: The Lord saith: whereas as the Lord
hath not sent them; and they have per-
sisted to confirm what they have said. Have
you not seen a vain vision and spoken a
lying divination. and you say: The Lord
SAITH" whereas I have not spoken We
therefore received them with piety. ex-
horted them to put away the deceits of vain
revelation, to subject themselves and their
works to salutary authority OF their supe-
riors, and to hasten the return of the faith
full of Christ to the safe path of obedience
and reverence toward their pastors. and
finally to leave to the vigilance of the
holy see and the other competent authors
ties the task Of confirming such ptous Gus
toms as might seem best adapted for the
fuller increase Of Christian life In many
parishes OF your dioceses, and at the same
time to admonish any priests who were
found guilty of speaking abusively or con-
temptuuosly of devout practices and exer-
cises approved by the church. And we
were consoled to see the two priests, moved
by our fatherly kindness. throw themselves
at our feet and express their firm resolu-
ton to carry out our wishes with the de-
votedness OF sons.
'"They then caused to be transmitted to
US a written statement which Increased our
hope that these deluded sons would SIN
cerely abandon past illusions and return to
the right road:
ready to fulfill the will OF God. which has
now been made 30 clear to US by MS vicar.
do most sincerely and joyfully revoke our
letter. which we sent on February OF
the present year to the archbishop OF war
saw and in which we declared that we sep
arated from him. Moreover, we do most
sincerely and with the greatest JOY profess
that we wish to be always united with our
bishops and especially with the archoisnop