Life of St John Vianney.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

""198 THE CURri OF AR8.What, indeed, have they not said ? This doea not seemto me the wayin which truth is defended."We have gathered all these words from the mouth ofthe veritable M. Vianney, who never varied in his statement. He assuredly believed that Maximin had told himthat he had not seen the Blessed Virgin; that he had seennothing. And this clear and positive assertion occasionedhim great perplexity. He was inclined to believe, both bythe natural disposition of his character, and, after the publication of the decree of the Bishop of Grenoble, by hisreverence of episcopal authority; but in the truth and simplicity of his nature it was impossible for him to persuadehimself that he had not heard what had been so distinctlyarticulated; and he struggled hopelessly against the painful doubts excited by the words of Maximin. Hence theseemingly inconsistent answers which he gave to variousinquirers. On the strength of the approbation ofthe Bishopof Grenoble, he would reply that the apparition might bebelieved; he permitted, and even, in certain cases, encouraged, the pilgrimage. If pressed to give his personalopinion, he evaded an answer; or, if the character andposition of the person who questioned him did not allowof his doing this, he would reply, as we have seen, that ifthe child had spoken the truth to him, he had seen nothing.When eagerly pressed by persons, unconscious of theindiscretion they were committing, to impart to them theparticulars ofhis interview with Maximin, and to repeat thewords which he had heard, we have sometimes seen him,with a kind of nervous movement, pass his hand over hisforehead, as if to efface some painful memory, saying, in asupplicating tone, * This pains me ;this hurts my head.stood his questions, and answered at random, would be more admissible.