The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-03-16

A Journal which exerts considerable in
fuence on public opinion, the Temps, of Pa.
ris. has recently inserted in its. columns
series of articles on the legal right Of priests
in France to marry. This piquant contro.
versy has excited the serious attention of
the educated classes, and has called forth
keen remonstrances in the Ultramontane
camp No one denies to the Roman Church
the right to impose on its clergy the obliga-
tion Of celbacy. Every religious commu-
Mon is at liberty to adopt its own rules pro-
vided there he no Infringement of social NOR.
ality; and if the Pope comes to an under
standing with councils and. bishops to for.
bid priests to marry, the law of the land has
nothing to do with it.
But the real question is this: When a
priest renounces his sacerdotal engagements
and resumes his place in society as an ordi-
nary citizen, ought he no. recover his right
to contract marriage? Men who really un-
derstand the conditions of religious liberty
cannot entertain the shadow of doubt up.
on the subject. Evidently the priest mho
ceases to be q priest ought to recover his
civil rights in their full extent and as every
Frenchman can legally contract marriage
when he is Of suitable age, an ex priest can
do so.
Well, the Romish Church refuses to ad.
nit these just and obvious principles. She
pretends that the sacerd0tal character IS in
delible, and that the magistrates ought abso-
lntely to prevent priest from marrying,
though such priest should no longer exer.
else any function. or though he may have
embraced the Protestant religion.
The reasons alleged by the Jesuit papers
for the positions they thus take is singular.
The Monde maintains that il is the duty Of
the government to enforce the fllfillment
OF al, contracts; that the violation of an oath
can never be sanctioned by the laws; that
moreover, auricular con iesson would be
impracticable. if few days afterwsrd priests
were able to marry; and that this prospect
would encourage badly-disposcd ecclesias.
tics in leading vicious lives.
The Temps has not much trouble in refn-
ting such poor sophisms as these. First.
the promise made by the priest at the time
of his ordinationjs not all lsgal contract,
inasmuch as the magistrate does not inter
fere in any way. Secondly, the fear that
auricular confession would be rendered less
easy than at present is illusory, inssmuch
rs priests are able to marry in England,
Switzerland, Prussia, and Holland, and we
do not see that the Roman Catholics of those
countries abstain from confession. Thirdly
if the prospect of the possibility of mar.
riage should threaten certain unpleasant re.
suits, it is for the leaders of the Romish
Church to proyiae against them. 1t is not
for the public legislator to act the part of
the moral police on behalf of the clergy.
This discussion, you see, is somewhat
serious one. It rs not probable that the
government will, at the present moment,
give the sanction to the views of the Temps
Popery still possesses much ir fuence in the
higher region Of the state But the question
is making way in the national mind, and
that is something. The compulsory cebacy
OF priests must disappear one day. as SO ma
ny other antiquated institutions of the mid
die ages hive done.
Here is a case in which the natur al Ia vs.
and the ecclesiastical laws of the Church of
Rome conflict. Every well.organized man
would be disposed to marry should he follow
his natural inclinations. But the church
places barrier in the way, and dooms
thousands of priests to perpetual celbacy,
and as many women to lives of "single
blessedness." We are glad the subject is
being discussed. and think good will grow
out Of it. + PirJaol,gica, Jo4raal.
A hurular enterpl tina honSa Of ID