The Irish standard., 1911-05-27
DIED TO KEEP VOW

DIED TO KEEP VOW
New Play Recalls Priests Sacrifice for
Secrecy Of Confessional.
The recent successful presentation
in New York city Of a drama in which
sacred secrecy of the confessional, has
occasioned much favorable comment
owing to the fact that the author
non-Catholic, has approached his SUBJ
ject with reverence and proper APP
probation of the seal of the confession
al, says the Catholic Columbian
The play deals with young Cath
Ollie priest whose brother is accused
Of the murder of his fiancee's brother.
Just before the arrest of the brother,
the priest hears the confession of the
real murderer and although his inno-
cent brother is taken to Jail, the priest,
because of the seal of the confessional
is unable to establish his innocence.
Far more dramatic and tragic than
stage drama was the case of the Rev.
Father kobzlowicz, who many years
ago. gave up his life rather than break
p the seal of the confessional. The fol-
lowing account of the sacrifices made
by this noble priest brings out clearly
the inviolability of the confessional
and shows that truth is oftentimes
stranger than fiction.
A Strange and Sad Case.
In November of the year 1853 the
Cathedral of Zitomir in Volhynia, was
the scene Of the most mournful of all
Church ceremonies, the degradation Of
q priest. The church was filled to ov-
erflowing by persons who lamented
aloud; the Bishop whose painful duty
1t was to perform the sad rite, Mon
signor Borowski could not restrain his
grief because the unfortunate priest
was universally known and hitherto
universally respected and loved. Faith
er Kobzlowicz was stationed at Orlat-
ov, In the Ukraine, where from the
time of his ordination he had been re-
garded as one of the most Jealous
priests Of the diocese.
All at once to the amazement of ev-
eryone who knew him, he was accused
OF having murdered public official of
the place. The chief piece of evidence
against him was a double barreled
fowling piece, found hidden behind the
high altar which was proved to have
oslonged to him and one barrel Of
which had been lately discharged. He
was convicted of the murder and the
court sentenced him to penal servitude
for life. Conformably to canonical
rules he was degraded from the priest
hood before this sentence was carried
out; his hair was cut off, he was clad
IN convict apparel and then incorpor-
ated In the chained gang Of criminals.
years passed away and everything
about the occurrence had been for
gotten except by few persons. Then
the organist of the church at Oratov,
finding himself at the point of death,
4 sent for the principal persons of the
district and confessed that he was the
] murderer of the oficial. He stated
that he had committed the crime in
the hope of being able to marry the
officials widow. After the murder, he
took the gun with which he had shot
4 the unfortunate man and hid 1t where.
upon his suggestion the police found
h 1t
n Died Unrishtsd.
After the arrest Of the priest, being
dlled with remorse, he visited him in
q prison and went to confession to him,
disclosing that he himself was the
criminal. He had them the purpose Of
acknowledging his guilt before the
court, but his courage failed him, and
\ he allowed things to proceed on their
fatal course.
Thus Father Kobzlowicz knew who
was the real murderer but he knew it
only through the confessional. A word
would have set him free from the ter
y 1ble' charge. but the word would have