Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-19

A singularly interesting document in the
form of an encyclical by Pope Plus K has
been received in this city and translated in
to English. 1t has ITO do with the Mariavites
of Poland, society of priests that has
been put under the ban. and the encyclical
is addressed to the archbishops of Warsaw
and the bishops of Piotsk and Lublin.
among the Poles. Perhaps no country in
the world. and certainly no country In
eastern Europe. can show SO many In
stances of feminine influence in all move
ments, political and social, as Poland.
Once more is history repeated. and
woman is at the head of a religious revival
which has set the country agog with party
faction; for the new sect has declared open
war against politics in general and pa
triotism in particular. AS a matter Of fact,
the idea Of the revival first originated in
the brain of pious Capuchine monk, a GER
tain Father Honoratus of Move Miasto, who
more than twelve years ago tried to In
duce the priests of the Roman Catholic
Church in Poland to lead simpler lives and
cease to extort money from the poorer
classes. especially in respect to fees for
performing baptisms. marriages and fune-
rails. Indeed, there Is a proverb which says
that the cow generally follows the Polish
peasant to his grave, meaning that the
priest Will not DuTy the OcCedStu al
extravagant fee. which necessitates the
sale Of the family COW. But Father Hon
oratus died before he could win more than
four priests to his way of thinking, and no
more was heard of the revival until some
three or four years later. when women.
Felicia Kozlowska, a clairvoyant, who pre-
viously had earned her living by making
church vestments in the cathedral city of
assumed the leadership Of the crusade.
1t is difficult to say exactly how much
power she claimed at the beginning, but 1t
seems to be quite certain that the few
os reforming the clergy believed her to
have received her directions from God dur
ing a vision. They eagerly adopted her
plans for organizing revival. and the
movement rapidly spread among the lower
clergy of the diocese Of Flock.
The woman now numbers among her ad-
herents 100000 laymen and over q hundred
priests.
The message from the pope In regard to
this sect Is very vigorous. 1t is translated
as follows:
About three years ago this apostolic see
was duly informed that some priests. es-
pecially among the Junior clergy Of your
dioceses, had founded, without permission,
from their lawful superiors, q kind Of
pseudo monastic society, known as the
IN
of which, little by little. turned from the
right road and from the obedience they owe
the bishops whom the Holy Ghost has
placed to rule the church of God and be-
come vain in their thoughts.
ITO a certain woman, whom they pro-
claimed to be most holy. marvelously en-
bowed with heavenly gifts, divinely enlight-
ened about many things, and providentially
given for the salvation of the world about
to perish. they did not hesitate to fntrust
themselves without reserve and to obey her
every wish. Relying on an alleged mandate
from God they set themselves to promote,
without discrimination and Of their own
. initiative. among the people frequent exer-
cises of piety (highly conmendable when
rightly carried out), especially the adora-
ton Of the most holy sacrament and the
practice OF frequent communion, but at the
same time they made the gravest charges
against all priests and bishops who ventur-
ed to express any doubt about the sanctity
and divine election Of the woman or showed
any hostility to the society Of the Maria
yites. Such q pass did matters reach that
there was reason to fear that many OF the
faithful In their delusion were about to
abandon their lawful pastors.
,"Ther sfore. on the advice of our vener-