Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-04-08
Marriage of Priests.

f an appeal and such n demonstra
ton on the part Of the peopl,
would have been an inpossibility
only a few years since. A priest
+ n. Trcglia, Of Salcrno) desired to
} marry; the local tribunal pro
I nounced that be could not, and
forbade the civil officers to take
: any steps in the matter. lie ap.
peaied, and the case was carried to
Naples, and argued by able advo,
Gates,
The council for the priest took
the ground that the civil law re
CARDS men only as citizens and
without respect to their religious
obligations. IF man were not
disqualified by some failure in his
civil condition, he could not be so
merely by the fact that he had Ia
ken a VOW of ccIibacy on admis,
sion to sacred orders. He argued,
also, that celibacy is in perfect con
tradiction to the nature Of man, to
the Divine word revealed in the
Scriptures, and to the example Of
( Christ, who selected for his disci-
pies and apostles married men, eX-
cept John and Paul, according to
the testimony Of st. Ambrose and
St. Hilary. (Shouts Of applause
and yivas. The idea Of ceIibacy
had been conceived to serve the
unbr;dled ambition Of the Stephens,
the Gregorys, and the Innocents
and killing the soul, and the heart,
and the moral sentiment, it had
well corresponded to their an;icipa-
tions so great had been the perf
/ dy and t9rany from which, through
these anoiuted Of the Lord, humili
ty has suffered and still suffers
/ TO make society moral the priests
must be made moral, and this can
only be accomplished by allowing
their marriage. Again loud viyas
and applause.
The advocate for the Romish
party opposed to the priest, said he
stood there to contend for the law, F.,
and its very silence on the subject
was proof that the old state Of
things was continued. The prac-
tice Of several centuries was Op
posed to any change. AS to the
example Of Christ and his apostles,
he has nothing to do with facts
which occurred 1000 years ago
He was only concerned with later
practices sanctioned by the compli
cations Of Church and State. And
he protested against any changes
which would do violence to the
prejudices of the multitude. What
would they think Of a man who
said mass in the presence of his
wife and family. lie tclt assured
that the judge would reject so
monstrous an appeal.
The Attorney-General then fol !
lowed the advocate OF the case in a
speech full of eloquence, and dis
by the most liberal spir-
it. Like the Advocate Catucci, he
argued that the civil code recog-
nizcd all citizens as equal; and now
that the grand principle Of the sep
aratiOn of Church and State was
established they could only regard
the priest in his civil relations. Let
Roman Catholics make their servi-
ces as splendid as they liked, they
should have tull protection of the
law, as should the members of all
other religious commuDions; but
let them not attempt to interfere I
with the State. Marriage was hon t
orable and Of purely civil obliga- !
ion, but if to this persons wished I
o add the priestly benediction they I
we're at liberty to do so it was an t
ltfair of private conscience, inter \
sting and much tC be eccmmenG- /
ID. As to the popular prejudice /
gainst the marriage Of priests, that I
would die away when the people c
Jaw them respectable heads of fam
lies For himself he would inf T
litely rather hold out lis hand to v
priest who took his wife to his c
louse than to one who took his con
ubine.
The correspondent Of the Lon !,
lon Times who gives an account i
II the argument says that the V
peeeh Of the Attorney General !.
vas followed by the most extraor- l,
Iinary demonstrations of applause
Hats were lifted: vivas were !
houtod, and a universal clapping
,f hands ensued such as have seen d
,nly in the enthusiastic audience of =
theatre, Long and loud it con l.
inued; the demonstration was be. i
'ond the power of the priests to .,
topit, and numbers came up to u
and thank the Attor
lev, General. What will be the -
Judgment of the Court it is impossi- o
lie to say precisely, but guid,d by J
he current of public opinion, by
he manner and the antecedents of "
ne Judges, ! have no hesitation in
aging that the marriage of priests "
ill receive the highest sanction of
le law" =,
The Court has since declared :, =.
lat the opposition to the priests n n
larriage is inadmissible, and di f.
ects that the ceremony shall be Ia
roceeded with accordi g to law. 81
- Grant seems to have a detp as
lid design in bis appointments h;
ldrertiser. :"
He has. His design is to secure m
he peace and harmony, for which ia
c soldiered for over four years tn
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