The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-06-24
THE SEAL INVIOLABLE.

THE SEAL INVlOLABLE.
On June 5 decision was given
in remarkable trial which was
brought to close in the Palace
Of Justice, Rome.
Briefly stated, the facts of the
case are as follows: A few
months ago an apostate priest,
named Verdesi, after playing with
modernism, got into the hands of
the Methodists in Rome. In the
course Of his public utterances
since his apostacy Verdesi de-
clared that action had been
taken against certain priests
suspected of modernism on in
formation given by him in
the confessional to Father Bri-
carelli, Of the Society Of Jesus.
AS soon as the charge was made
public, Father Bricarelli published
an immediate denial and took &C.
ton in the civil courts against
Verdesi for criminal libel. Dur
ing the. trial which opened in
Rome on May %, it was brought
out in evidence that Verdesi had
spoken to others about the clique
Of modernistic priests with whom
he had been associating; that he
had also mentioned the matter to
Father Bricarelli in the course of
a conversation which he had with
him outside the confessional and
that he had not been penitent Of
Father Bricarelli for a long time
prior to that date Father Bricar-
ELI, without mentioning Verdesi s
name, brought the matter to the
attention Of the Holy Father
who told him that these priests
must be denounced to the
Holy Office. Father Bricar-
ELI communicated this message
to Verdesi who cheerfully volun-
teered the names of the priests
and what he knew of their mod
ernistic tendencies. 1t seems that
these men were already known to
the Roman authorities and that
steps had already been taken to
punish them for their mod
ernism. Verdisi did not bring
any charge Of violating the
secrecy Of the confessional
against Father Bricarelli until
he fell under the influence Of
the Methodists. The accusation
was so Infamous that nothing re.
NAMED for the accused but
to institute a civil action against
his accuser. The case was fol
lowed with great interest through
out the Catholic world, and wher
all the evidence was considered
the court condemned Verdesi tt
ten months Imprisonment and or
dered him to pay all the costs O,
the trial.
This verdict exonorates Father
, Bricarelli from every suspicion O.
having violated the seal o
the confessional. He has now beer
indicated and Verdesi has beer
shown in his true colors. The yer
dict is also a vindication Of Italian
justice and an evidence Of the fac
that the Roman courts Of law ar
{ not biased by anti-clerical infu
e ences in melting out justice in &C
t cordance with the evidence ad
D duced before them. Of course
Catholics did not believe for
0 moment that the charge agains
! Father Bricarelli had any founds
r ton in fact. They knew tina
y never in the long history Of tn
Q Catholic Church has a priest vic
. lated the seal of the confessional
4 Priests may have fallen from thei
! high office, they may have apo.
n tatized, but God has sealed the
: lips and under no circumstance
v have they revealed to men the sir
n cOntlded to them In the trlbun;
h of penance.
. This incident should serve as
!, warning to the Methodists
e Rome not to rely on the stat
! ments of such men as Verdes
s But will they profit by it? It
Is not the first time they have SOLE
d their hands and pricked their fl
d gers picking over the weet
,e thrown from the Pope's garden