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Waikato Times, Volume 2507, Issue XXXI, 4 August 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

One of the moat famous and popular preachers in Spain at this moment is Pather Pia Maria Mortara, who educated at the monastery of the Angus tine order of San Pietro in Vmcoli, at Rome, is conversant with twenty different languages or dialects, and draws all Madrid to listen to his marvellous cloqiune.o as often as be enters the pulpit. Jfo is ni>w.')7 yearj of age, and is that same Mortara, the son of Jewish parents in Bologna, who, lying at the point of death, iu 1S")1, was baptied by a Roman Catholic nurse, and on his recovery was seized by order of the late Pope, and conveyed to Rome, in spite of tho prayers and protests of his father and mother, who demanded the restitution of their child. His abduction created a great sensation in all parts of Europe, and the " Mortara Case " became a standing head-lino iu hundreds of newspapers. But the Pope was inflexible, and little Mortara was educated for tho priesthood. He fled from Rome when the Italians catered the city in IS7O, took refugo iu Austria, and about six years ago ho setttlod in Spain.