The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1886-12-12

and help they stand in need OF, in order
that they may lead a truly happy life in tue
married state, and that they may
fulfill all the solemn and sacred
duties that will devolve upon them.
Do you not see, my dearly belov d
brethren, that it is a most important thing
for those shout to assume those important
obligations, that they arc taking one of the
most serious steps of their lives; and that
they stand in need of ell the blessings
which the Church of God can give them.
Therefore the Importance of being married
with a Nuptial Mass. By decree made at
the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore,
which had been previously adopted at the
Provincial Council of New York, and also
passed at the Newark Synod recently held,
Catholic Christians are to be married IN the
morning with Nuptial Mass, and all mar
riages in the evening are forbidnen. When
it cannot be avoided for some necessary
cause to have marriage in the evening,
the matter must be referred to the Bishop
Of the Diocese. When persons go, my
dearly beloved brethren, in the darkness of
the night to the priests resi- ence, asking
to be married at that time, as if they were
ashamed of receiving the sacrament of mar
riage; as if it were something to be kept
from the knowledge of the other members
of the congregation; as If it were something
criminal to enter on the married state; it
always seemed to me, at least, as if they
were ashamed of it; ashamed of receiving
one of the sacraments-it is certainly
wonderful thing. They do not understand
that the married state is holy state, and
considered SO by Almighty God. For
Christians it is sacrament. With regard
to this Sacrament of Matrimony, it would
seem unnecessary to repeat to you what
you have learned from your childhood. that
1t cannot be dissolved; that matrimoDy can
never be dissolved when once validly con-
tracted and the contracting parties have
lived together as man and wife. There IS
no possibility of divorce for Christians who
have been validity married; and no power in
the Church of God eau separate them in
such a manner as to allow them to contract
another marriage. Christian marriage cannot
be dissolved; and no civil court, no ecclesi-
astical court, no priest, no bishop, no Pope,
has power to dissolve it. The last Plenary
Council of Baltimore has enacted that who
soever among the children of the
Church, after having procured di-
vorce in the civil court, shall attempt
Marriage with another person while the
other party to the former marriage is living
is by the fact cut off from the church; can.
not participate in the prayer of the church,
and must be considered wherever he may
be as Pagan or heather, and no longer
belonging to the church. 1t was neces-
sary that this should be enacted at the last
Plenary Council of Baltimore, beloved
brethren; for the daily papers ESQ full of
divorce cases before the courts, and they
are read by so many Catholics that gradu-
ally they may begin to think that the doc
trine of the church that the Christian
marriage cannot be dissolved, that the
Christian couple once validity married and
having lived as man and wife can never be
separated, may begin to think that this
doctrine has been in some way changed or
modified. Some of those unfortunate per-
sons have even gone so far as to avail them
selves of divorce given in the coults
which, counts for nothing before God-have
availed themselves of such divorce to con-
tract marriage with other persons. Any
such persons thus acting will be cut off
from the church; will be accommodated;
will be punished with the most terrible
punishments that the Church of God can
infiict. In this connection, dearly beloved
brethren, experience has taught me that
am bound in duty wherever go through
out the diocese to say that those men and
those women-married men and married
women-who are ignorant enough or
wicked enongh,. to dare to contract mar
riage with other persons, whilst they are
ignorant of the death of those persons,
husbands or wives, are guiltyiof adultery.
There were cases and there are now. where
married women whose husbands are still
living in the old country, in Europe, have
dared to live and are living with other men
as if they were their lawful wives. Even
if their husbands should be dead they are
living in adultery because they do not know
it, and not knowing it they are forbidden
by the law of God and the law of the
church to live with any other persons. ]
repeat once more, because this matter is
of so much Importance. that Chris
tan marriage is not to be dis
solved the Christian husband
and wife can never be separated by any
power in thu world! The Third Plenary
Council of Baltimore also considered the
matter of funerals Christian funerals; and
the Fathers of the Council were all of the
opinion that, as a rule, there is too much
display, too much pomp,. connected with
Christian funerals You all remember-at
least the Oldest among you do-that at the
first Diocesan Synod, held under Bishop
Bayley statute was made that only six
carriages were allowed at any funeral, and
that where there were more than six
coaches the parish priest was forbidden to
open the church for the services. and the
superintendent of the cemetery was also
forbidden to allow the funeral to enter the
cemetery. Afterwards the number of
coaches allowed was increased to twelve.
and the present statute of the diocese is
that only twelve coaches are to follow the
hearse at any funeral. Where there are
more than twelve following the hearse the
church is not to be opened, and the body
is not allowed to enter the church or the
cemetery. You can easily understand the
reasons for this, beloved brethren. So
many families put themselves to SO much
expense for tho sake of having grand fu-
neral--for the sake of being considered as
good as their neighbors-put themselves to
an expense that they cannot defray, and
which, if they do defray, they ruin them