MARRIED A NUN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 391, 17 May 1910, Page 6

MARRIED A NUN.

REPRISALS AFTER 33 YEARS. Sydney, May 7. The burning topic in Sydney this week tew been the exclusion of Dr. Fiaschi from .St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Hospital. Lieut.-Colonel Dr. Thomas Henry Fiasefoi, M.D., D.5.0., now 57 years old, and,for thirty-live years resident in Xew South Wales, is one of tne most distinguished and most popular of Sydney physicians. He is >a soldier-surgeon, who served with honor with the Italian Army during the Abyssinian campaign of lSiiii, and was specially decorated by King Humbert. He served with the British Army in South Africa in 1880-11)0'.), and received the D.S.O. for services at Paarde.berg. He. is an honorary surgeon of Sydney Hospital, and the considerable Italian community of Xew South Wales regards him with affectionate esteem. In 187(5 Dr. Fiaschi married Miss Katherine Reynolds, daughter of a Leitrim Irishman. Miss Reynolds was at the time a .protessed 'Sister of Charity at St, Vincent's Hospital, under perpetual vows. St. Vincent's Hospital is the chief Roman Catholic Hospital in Sydney. Attached to it is a pavilion, nominally unseetarian, 'where many doctons send .private .patients, chiellv Roman ■Catholics. Dr. Fiaschi says in reference to his marriage that—"As you can understand, 1 had to take my wife away to marry her. I Couldn't very well ask permission! "1 went to' practise at Windsor. No doubt they tried to injure me as well 'as they could. But I fought .my battle and I survived it. 1 had a good deal of obstructing and persecuting, *but 1 was never discouraged. I paid no attention to them. This 'persecution died down. I have always worked amicably with everybody. Naturally, I never put my foot' inside St. Vincent's .Hospital.

"My wife had made friends with tliem again somehow. Then, one day, in September last, I 'think, when the rev. mother rectress was in our (house, she saw me, and invited ime to send patients to the private hospital ipavilion. I was welcome to send them, she said. "There is a well-known .private hospital ito which I have been for many years sending my patients. But after that 1 sent several who were Roman Catiholies to St. Vincent's Pavilion. I sent a patient first in about December, and I ihave recommended the place xo other medical men.

"Before sending (patients I went with my son to inspect the .pavilion. We were received most cordially. Tliev took us over the whole plaice, iand .offered to send for the rev. mother rectress. There have been the most cordial relations uetween us."

Then,, some months ago, Dr. Carlo Fitisehi, Dr. Fiasehi's son, got into trouble. He was practising at a country town some distance from Sydney. He was accused of malpractice in connection with a female patient, and stood 'lis trial, 'being eventually acquitted. The circumstances of the case were such that the verdict apparently failed .completely to rehabilitate Dr. Carlo Fiaschi in nis own esteem. He commenced drinking heavily, and a few days ago was found dying from an overdose of morphia. At tlie inquest the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Dr. Carlo Fiaschi was a member of the Church of England, and was buried with me rites of the Ohiwch of England. To this circumstance Dr. jjiivsc-'iii attributes a letter which he received almost immediately from the Superior-General of St. Vincent's Convent, requesting him to withdraw from all professional connection with St. Vincent s private hospital, on account of "the unrest and dissatisfaction . .■. . arising from the sad epi-

aode of long past veaivs"—this episode, of course, being Dr. Fiaschi's marriage in the circumstances stated. Dr. Fiaschi. in complying with the request, published the correspondence.

The result has .been to set Sydney ill an uproar. The sectarian press, both on the Protestant and Catholic side, is devoting pages to the matter. The daily paipeis have printed many letters for and against Jr. Fia.schi. The most remarkable of these is the following letter, signed by mere than eight of the leading Italian residents of .Sydney. This was published, by both ihe Sydney Morning Herald md the Daily Telegraph, and its terms illustrate tho ex teat to which religious passion has been roused, as well as the strong anti-clerical feeling of Young Italy:—"To the Editor. —Sir, —As Catholics and Italians we wish to energetically protest •against the treatment meted out to Dr. Fiaschi, 'and we seize lie opportunity -to express the hope that •chis country, which gives us hospitality, and to which we are attached by indissoluble chains of affection, may rid itself once and for all of the scandalous tyranny which the Catholic Church has practised in .all times land all over the worm, thus prostituting the religion of Christ, and speculating on the iguorance of the people and alienating the minds of many from it.

''We Italians; know from our own personal' knowledge that this plague exists, and that it has contaminated for many centuries our own de«r country, until at last by the shedding: of the blood of our ancestors it has now been circumscribed, and so made impossible for further harm like a wild animal in its ca,»e. "To-day a well-known artist dear to the Australian public is playing a drama partly historical, and of all the dreadful characters depicted therein the worst is that of a Catholic priest 'mho excites the crowd to kill the Huguenots in the name of God- We can therefore fairly presume that the dastardly act committed against Or. Fia.schi has been done also in the name of God,' who is, or should be. the God of charity.

"We only_ hope itihat, after nil, from ■these sectarian excesses good wav result, and -tliat bnis co.untiy, following the example of one of me most cultured nations of the world (France), will free itself from .this tyranny, and .progress not only in civilisation, U ut .also in char-ity.-Yours, etc., C. Capo, Oi. P. Cuzino, M. Rossi, P. Ciagliardi, G. Stesi, A. Biolo, B. CaJlose, Count G. Tenderini, and o,tihens."

The excitement of the incident has not yet Leon ended, mid new champions on the side of the Church ami of l>r. Fiasdii a.riso dailv.—'Wellington Post's correspondent.