The Washington herald., 1907-02-17
A Religious Impostor
Remarkable Career of Archbishop ViIattc,
of Texas Wants Church in France

ton by the Catholic Citizen Of Miiwau-
kee, rs Rene. the Ready -VHlatte pro-
ceeded 10 dispense hospitality and spir-
itual aid" to American visitors to the
| exposition. lie announced that he had
/ made his peace with Rome"
He was not accepted for Rome inquired
/ through Cardinal Gibbons as to Yilatte's
] history in the United States and asked
| what faith might be placed IN his re,,an-
tation and promises Of obedience. This
inquiry. among other places. went direct
to Wisconsin to both Catholic and Epis-
copal officials.
/ Without doubt. however, Vilatte's sea-
son in Paris gave him valuable exper-
fence 10 guide his present ambition 10 be-
/ come the new Pope of France. 4 cir
cular. was issued TO the clergy OF that
I country in April. 1890. by Cardinal Rich
/ ard Archbishop Of Paris and Primate Of
/ France. denOuncing Vilatte and denying
/ his right 10 perform the offices offered
/ by himself and others.
Once more Nilatte crossed 10 Amer
/ lea. OF this Bishop Grafton wrote IN the
London Times:
Since his return to America he has
I been supporting himself principally by
/ simony. The ordinary price he asked FOR
/ comforting orders has been $500 One OF
]
was 10 sell the Eplsc0pate.
Desire for Respectable Recognition.
| His great desire has been to obtain
/ recognition from some respectable per-
1 sons in order that he might better inn
/ pose on the credulous. At first he asked
/ $4,000 for the Episcopate. but gradually
| lowered his price, as he found he could
NOT obtain 50 much.
/ There are a few ritualistic dudes and
/ one or two ex-RUmans who would have
/ been glad 10 obtain this supposed dig
/ nifty but could not afford H. The desire
| Of some Of the Polish clergy 10 be inn
I dependent Of Roman authority led the
/ way. al last, TO the accomplishment Of
/ his scheme.
He had made very little Roadway in
the United States after his return, in
! indeed. al his work had apparently coll
/ Iapsed. His debts were large. and he
was ia desperate straits. This very year.
on tile same day, he wrote two Letters
/ ono To the Roman bishop DIT Messmer,
/ of Green Bay, Wis. Offering % return
to Rome; the other 10 Bishop Merrill, OF
/ the Methodist body, seeking what terms
he could make with them
While attempting 10 open negotiations
with Bishop Messmer or Bishop Merrill.
{ T.
Kaminski. rector Of the Church Of the
Holy Mother Of the Rosary. Buffalo twh0m
he had previously ordained, Offering
him $3.50 IN cash and as much more in
notes. secured by mortgages on church
property, If he would consecrate Kamin-
sid q bishop Yilatte is reported 20 have
accepted. and as "a part Of his deception
OF the Polish priest al Buffalo, TO have
announced that Cardinal Gibbons and
the apostolic delegate would accompany
him to Buffalo TO assist at the cOnsecra-
ton.
On the appointed day Nnattc arrived.
Cardinal Gibbons and others having been
/ "unavoidably detained and he con
ferred conservation" on Faminsh He OBJ
tanned the money. too. and, TO avoid cred
itors who were said % be close upon his
I heels, fed into Canada by night Vi
latte, however, claims he delivered the
goods
From Canada he went 20 England and
visited Father Ignatius' monastery In
Wales. where he conferred orders right
and left. He claimed az that time 20
have received his right OF conservation
from mysterious parsonage spoken OF as
the Metropolitan Of MaIahar."
II was his operations in England that
called forth Bishop Grafton's letter 20
the London Times which Is the most CO.
herent summing up OF his career
In all Vilatte has belonged 10 FIVE dif-
ferent churches-Catholic. Presbyterian
Methodist. Congregational, and Episco-
pal In addition he has served under
various disassociated branches Of the
Catholic Church and seems 10 have
dipped variously into Nestorianism, Bud
dhism. D0llingerism, and various other
"isms
Bishop Nessmer's Statement.
When Vilaue made his recantauons at
Rome. Bishop Messmer. of Green Bay,
Wis, made the following statement:
The first suspicion OF Vilatte's drifting
toward Rome got from letter Of Monk
Ignatius. Of England TO me- Suspicion
became a certainty when a letter from
RoUc, sent 10 Cardinal Gibbons. asked
for information about Vilattes ante
cedenIs and whether his conversion might
be considered TO be sincere.
There Is certainly very strong reason
to doubt, in view of his five former con-
versions and as many relapses. He made
a pretended show of conversion in ISgl.
when / was a kind of intermediary be-
tween him and Mgr. Satoili, then apostolic
delegate in the United States. And again.
one year ago. when he correspon6ed
with Mgr MartinelH and myself In both
eases "thc Roman spirit vanished pre-
maturely. as il took too long a time TO
-materialize
He succeeded better with Kaminszi. OF
Buffalo, whom he cOusecrated bishop three
weeks after sending me. in proof OF his
sincerity, the letter just sent him by
kaminskis committee asking for how
much he would perform the conservation.
The performance brought him $500 or
more, as we are told
How can you believe such a person?
That his conversion was made at Rome
and to the Supreme Congregation Of
the Holy Office is no proof of sincerity.
Still, the grace of God is all-powerful
and often works itS wonders where man
suspects it least. May such be the case
with Nilatte
lis co2version is no greater gain 10
the Catholic Church than any other
poor sinner-the gain of an immortal
soul redeemed by Christ. He comes
alone. The ten or fifteen Belgian fam
lilies here. stu hoping for his return,
viii not follow him to Rome
What is his following? A Roman pa
per stated that he had some $1,000 fol-
lowers in the United States. Whatever
the number of independent Poles NAV
be. they certainly are not Vilatte's fol-
lowers, since they have got so-called
bishops Of their own nationality. OF
French or Belgians he never at any time
had a round hundred families. old
Catholicism never amounted TO any
thing in the United States; now it is
dead
Veteran Reiterated Quickly.