DEATH'S HEAD IN THE PULPIT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1012, 30 December 1910, Page 6

DEATH'S HEAD IN THE PULPIT.

AN EXTRAORDINARY ■ SERMON.

An extraordinary story, summarised; by the Berlin correspondent of the "Chris--tian World," conies from', Geblingen, ; a small town in Lorraine, übt very far from Metz. It reads, lie says, like a parody of "Hamlet" in the. pulpit. .The; 'priest, of this place was.an ardent preacher,of. morality, and had been worked, into a. state of great indignation by the loose attitude towards sacred things displayed by the youth of both'sexes belonging to his parish. A short time ago there was a service in the church in connection, with some local rejoicing, and when Mass was over the-'priest appeared iri the pulpit determined : 'to read his flock a severe lesson.. From underpins robe he produced a skull, and, to the'-,terror of the con-, sregation, held it up before them. Then in the stj'le of "Alas! poor Yorick!" ho. began '• to address the grim relic.-: ■ . "Art thou the-skull of. a maid or of, a youth ?" he asked. "Art thou a husband or'a wife? Didst thou live'in; Get)-! lingen? Are any of thy relatives/, m this church? Wert, t.hou a drunkard?. Were thy gods women and■ wine? -Didst': ; thou make a god-of thy belly?- Art thou in heaven or in hell?" Then after, a pause the priest - again ' addressed . the skull. "If-thou art in hell give;me no answer." The priest received : no, answer, a proof that .Sic former owner of the skull was in hell. Weak-minded* people fainted, and at the conclusion of -the sermon the congregation filed out pole and excited. They have since come 'to theirsenses, and'have sent'-a remonstrance to the Bishop of Metz asking him if he h a 9 no words of reproof for a priest who, resorts to these methods of inculcating niorality. - ■