“SOUL BRIDES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 542, 20 December 1928, Page 10

“SOUL BRIDES”

ARCHBISHOP CHARGED ANOTHER RASPUTIN? Astounding stories recalling the charges made against Rasputin, the one-time Russian monk, have been related in the trial in Poland of thel Archbishop Kowalski, head of the j religious sect known as the Mariav-1 tes, who had established around Plock ■ a number of colonies. The archbishop is charged with exercising certain influences among young people of both sexes, and the defence is limited to suggesting that | the practices imputed have a deep, j mystic religious signification that justifies them. The sect was founded by Rasputin j shortly before the war, at the Instance of the Russian Court, which was anxious to create a schism in the Catholic Church of Poland for political purposes. Rasputin decided on a procedure cloaked by mysticism, and at the head of It he placed a beautiful woman known as "The Little Mother” Kozlowska. Band of Preachers Under her guise of religion, "The Little Mother,” by aid of her own charms, gathered about a band of young and handsome male preachers, who tvere sent into villages to proclaim the new faith. They had an immense success from the start, especially among the young peasant women, and colonies were formed and' financed by elderly men and women. After the death of “The Little Mother” the new Rasputin came on the scene in the person of the selfappointed Archbishop Kowalski, against whom the charges are now made by the authorities. It was alleged that Kowalski claimed the right to first choice bf any young girl converts as “soul brides,” and that other girls were reserved for orgies in which religious ritual w'as associated and that they were afterwards handed over to husbands nominated by the “archbishop.” Elders Must Work It was further stated that the elderly women were taught that they could

only win their salvation by hard wort waiting on the younger girls and theij’ spiritual husbands, or by provide funds. The sect was said to h a ?g many thousands of followers through, out rural Poland, and it had several settlements. The palace of the Archbishop of Plock was declared by the police to be on a scale that no known Easter* potentate had ever attained to. ™ In various ways the teaching, spread outside Poland and approved candidates from other countries were admitted to the colonies. The police asserted that giru from other countries voluntarily took up residence at these abodes, and were living as spiritual brides. ■ All the settlements were designed on the most up-to-date lines. They con! tain model farms, and most of th. settlements are self-supporting, fuu,;, for clothing and other necessities, not produced in the communities, obtained by the proceeds of the sale of the farm produce, which w*. marketed all over the world. Priestly Caste’s Claim Each male recruit was impressed with the urgency of making himself a missionary, so that he might add girl converts to the sect. They were warned, however, that they might not look upon converts as brides until the will of the archbishop and ths priestly caste had been made known The blasphemies associated with the sect caused a thrill of resentment throughout Poland, and the Govern, ment was determined to suppress ths irregularities complained of.

It was said that the last census c| the sect showed that women adhei. ents were in the majority of five to one. Male converts could automata cally claim divorce from wives mar. ried outside the faith.