The healer Gassner.

In the newspaper l’Exposition populaire illustrée, number 24, we find in an article entitled: Correspondence on the thaumaturges, an interesting account of the healer Gassner, almost as well known in his time as the prince of Hohenlohe, for his healing power.

“Gassner (Jean Joseph) was born on August 20, 1727, in Bratz, near Bludens (Swabia); did his first studies in Innsbruck and Prague, received holy orders in 1758, was appointed parish priest of Kloesterle, in the region of the Grisons.

“After fifteen years of retired life, he revealed himself to the world as endowed with an exceptional power, that of curing all diseases by the mere laying on of hands, without employing any remedy and without demanding any payment. The sick soon flocked from all parts, and in such great number that, in order to be better able to assist them, Gassner requested and obtained permission to absent himself from the parish, and went successively to Wolfegg, to Weingarten, to Ravensperg, to Detland, to Kirchberg, to Morspurg and to Constance. The unfortunate made a cortege for him; the medical body rose up against him. Some proclaimed marvelous cures, others contested them.

“The bishop of Constance compelled him to an inquiry, conducted by the director of the seminary. Gassner declared that he had never had the thought of performing miracles and that he had limited himself to applying the power that ordination confers upon all priests of exorcising, in the name of Jesus Christ, the demons, which are one of the most frequent causes of our diseases. He declared that he divided all maladies into natural diseases or lesions, into diseases of obsessions, and into diseases complicated by obsessions. He said that he had no power over the first and failed with those of the third category, when the natural disease was superior to the obsession disease.

“The bishop was not convinced and ordered Gassner to return to his parish, but shortly afterward authorized him to continue his exorcisms. The healer hastened to take advantage of the authorization and astonished the inhabitants of Elwangen, of Sulzbach and of Ratisbon, by the immense crowd that his fame attracted from Switzerland, from Germany and from France. The duke of Wurtemberg declared himself openly his admirer and protector; his successes drew powerful adversaries upon him. The celebrated Haen and the Theatine Sterzinger attacked him with perseverance and passion; several bishops lent their support to the fiery Theatine and forbade Gassner to exorcise in their dioceses. Finally, a decree of Joseph II ordered Gassner to leave Ratisbon; but, strengthened by the protection of the prince-bishop of that city, who had conferred upon him the title of ecclesiastical councilor, with the function of court chaplain, he persevered. Such resistance was prolonged until 1777, the period at which Gassner was appointed to the parish of Bondorf, to which he withdrew and where he died on April 4, 1779, at 52 years of age.” Observation.

– Spiritism protests against the qualification of thaumaturge, given to healers, because it does not admit that anything is done with the exclusion of the natural laws. The phenomena that belong to the order of spiritual facts are no more miraculous than material facts, since the spiritual element is one of the forces of Nature, as the material element also is. Thus, the healer Gassner performed no more miracles than the prince of Hohenlohe and the zouave Jacob, and one may see singular analogies between what was happening then concerning him and what happens today. [The following article: Presentiments and prognostics, speaks of the priest Gassner.]

[1] [Don Ferdinand Sterzinger, author of: The phantasmagorical apparitions, a fantasy or fraud — Die Gespenstererscheinungen eine Phantasie oder Betrug - Google Books.]