The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-02-06
DANGER OF MIXED MARRIAGES..

tzSEzA 49, -
The following Communication is from
most excellent French clergyman, now and
for many years past an earnest worker on
the missions in this State
Editor Morning Star:
! have often read in your excellent
journal, able articles on Education, and on
the injustice of the schoo! taxes by which
Catholic parents are compelled to pay for
the support of schools to which they can
not in conscience send their children. The
tyranny of that policy is evident to every
unprejudiced mind. They alone who have
an interest in doing so, can support that
unconstitutional system. But there is an
other great obstacle going to trample the
exertiops of the Church in raising children
according to Catholic principles, true to
their God and true to their country. 1t
ought to be signaled to your readers as the
source Of much evil. The dangers arising
from npi1ed marriages, unfortunately 80
common, have been pointed out by
the bishops of this country, assembled
in the general council of Baltimore and
the late aud sanity Archbishop Odin: DO OF
this diocese, in his Pastoral Letter of 1868,
spoke strongly against them. Twelve
years passed in mixed commu nities have
convinced me that the Catholic Church
loses more of her children on account of
mixed marriages than from any other
cause. They are, to cay the least, the root
of indifferentism, and very often of open
antagonism to all religious principles. The
former is imposed the latter the Catholic
Individually and willingly chooses for
himself. Love is blind.
Among the two thousand inhabitants of
q little town that l know over twenty
families have lost their faith and bear to
the Catholic Church the hatred of apostacy
on account of mixed marriages, without
the UrnwinD EaNPr0tiOn over
which the Church has no control. Even if
the children are educated in Catholic
schools, by the influence they receive in
their daily Intercourse and by the living
examples of parents who do not profess the
same creed, they become Indifferent. The
rule is of such general application that I
know only single family to which, in g
certain degree, it does not apply.
wish some of your contributors would
undertake the gu beet and follow it through
it's divers phases from the counting time to
the succeeding generation. How they
would picture the chevalier on Bonded
knees before the idol of his love, pledging
himself to leave her perfectly free in the
| enjoy mentnf religious liberty. Before the
| wedding takes place he is the most liberal
man the day after he has become de-
| spotlc master forgetting the promises he
| has made to the priest and to his wife, he
| causes her in turn to bend her knees and
to swear that she will never more go to
| confession. Sue may once in while go to
| Mass, but not too often he will even con-
descend To accompany her on pleasant
days. when the music will be, what 1t
ought never to be, operate and profane,
or when thpre will be fine preacher.
| Tie struggle has begun; it will con
| tinue for life aud their home will become a
hell. Do not think that this is exaggerated.
| The picture drawn is true to nature. All
cases are not alike. 1t may happen that
peace will exist between husband and wife
as long as the education of children does
| not come To disturb the household harmony.
| But at that moment, If not before, aisoord
appears. If the Catholic party dies when
the children are young, having been hap
tized, they are left to u Protestant father,
or, what is still worse, to a Prutestan,
mother aud relations, To be emblttered
alainst the faith of their baptism.
! But suppose for an instant that the case
may not 10 like those noticed above, snip
! pose that, without coDcerJ about religion
| (Which seldom happens), the Protestant
| party will allow full liberty to the other tC
| follow the teaching of her or Ills religion
aud to bring up the children in Catholic
schools and under Catholic Influences
| Even then, strange as 1t may seem, The
children for the most part are lost for 1t j,
easy to become a worthy Protestant, bat il
requires sacrifices to be q constellation,
Catholic.
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