The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1914-05-30
COURT DECLARES ROMAN THEOLOGY OBSCENE
Anna Lowry Arrested and Convicted Charge Of Using Obscene Lam
guase in Quoting Literally From Theological Works Oi NhOnus
Eguo the Saint and Instructor Of Roman Catholic ConesOrs

4" Iss ANNA LOWRY, the sr-nun
mi whose book, "The Martyr In
|" Black" and whose successful
lecture touu have driven the
priesthood and sisierhoods 10 despera.
ton, was arrested a. Rushford, Nina,
by police Officers from winona on the
charge Of having used obscene language
IN Winona address about two months
before the date Of the arrest.
At the trial, which resulted In convic
tion on May 10, the judge began the
proceedings with the announcement that
there were only two things for the court
20 dccide-whcihcr the words alleged 90
be spoken were obscene or not, and
whether Miss Lowry used them. Since
Miss Lowry did not deny quoting the
saint, the real issue hung wholly upon
the question a. 10 whether the unspcak.
able and unprintAble questions prescribed
by Liguori for priests 20 ask penitents
in the confessional could be legally quoted
in public assembly. The trial resolved
itself into an investigation Of Romish
theology, and the conviction Of Miss
Lowry was in reality a conviction Of
Liguori and his church Of prescribing
questions for the confessional that are
Indecent and obscene.
Miss Lowry will take the question Of
her own culpability 10 the supreme court
Of Minnesota on appeal; and that
august tribunal will have the opportunity
10 pass on the question Of whether an
American citizen should be punished for
merely exposing the obseenities Of Rome
II Il Is wrong 20 quote the language Of
Liguori, is Il right for the same language
20 be uttered by a bachelor confessor
20 female penitents in the privacy Of the
confessionalf -'.'.r-.
IL the law Of the land Is properly
invoked 10 prevent the public utterance
Of indecent language, why may the same
law not operate 20 prevent the private
utterance Of the same language in tho
confessional II the words Of Saint
Liguori are unfit 10 repeat in a public
assembly, are they III to repeat TO the
women, for whom they are intended, in
q private closeti These and many other
related questions will occur 20 sensible
people whose attention IL attracted by
this trial.
The more that Il said and written and
thought about the unquotable lucubra.
tions Of Liguori, Dens, et. al, the better
Informed the public will be, and the more
contempt will be felt for an alleged
church which raises such as Lguori to
the distinction Of q saint and defiles its
own membership with the putrid pre-
scriptions Of that mental monster and
sexual pervert. Miss Lowry will suffer
the slings and arrows Of the outrageous
priests, but the public will get the bene.
fit Of her disclosures. But such incidents
as this make up the pages Of history
that record the long struggle Of the
people against popery, freedom against
falsehood and light against darkness.
The priests would have served their
own purpose better had they let Miss
Lowry's statements gone without ehal-
lenge, and not have compelled her 20
prove 10 the world what was stated 10
q limited audience. Truly, The Lord
mdketh the teruth Of man 10 praise Him
and the anger of Miss Lowry's persecu.
tors is the most effective means Of their
own undoing.