The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-09-29
THE CHURCH DEFENDED.
But the View of Ministers of All
Denominations Is That the
Woman is in an Unfortun-
ate and Anomalous
Position.

The action of the diocesan authorities
of the Catholic Church in receiving the
contrite priest, Father Butler, back into
its fold again and at least partially re-
facilitating him, and leaving the woman
to bear her sorrows alone, has excited no
end of conflicting comment in the COM
munity. The prevailing tenor of Protest
ant opinion views the position Of the wo-
man as peculiarly unfortunate. It looks
on the action of the man. in abandoning
his legal wife and offspring and taking
efuge beneath the protecting cloak of
he Church. as an act of cowardice.
The voice Of Church criticism am ong
Catholics is directed more against the
woman than against the offending but
repentant priest. If he is mentioned at
all in connection with the affair it is in
the subdued tone of compassion. called
on several representative ministers of the
Protestant churches In the city and some
of the prominent Catholic priests yester-
day with the design of learning from
their lips the light in which the latest
phases of the scandal were regarded in
the two religious orders.
/ first saw the Rev. John l.. Scudder,
the pastor of the Tabernacle, at his home
on Varick street. He greeted me cor
lhfAtCd A1C AnOO lis OlIlluR IOOul,
and responding to my opening enquiry
launched into the subject with his char
acteristic breezy energy.
"What do you think, Mr.. Scudder,"
was my question. "of the action of the
Catholic authorities in receiving Father
Butler back into the bosom of the Church
and exposing the woman who is his wife
to the odium that attaches to their NUT
ual 'offence?'"
ooh, it is perfectly consistent with the
tenets of their Church" he replied "But
/ do not care for the humbug of rules. l
should view the matter in the broader
light of the ethics involved and the way
it would appeal to the conscience of an
upright man and the character of an
American citizen.
BOUND IN HONOR TO STICK.
"The priest married the woman, and
aside from the obligations placed on him
by the traditions of his faith, he was
bound in honor to stick to her. l think
that the essence of religion is in right
living do not put so much faith in
ecclesiastical beliefs when they conflict
with manly conduct"
"You understand that the status of
Mrs. Butler, as defined by the Calh-
olics, Is that of an adulteress, and the off
spring of the nnion as Legitimate, " / in
simulated?
81 do not care how it is regarded. I
look at the matter merely in the light of
a citizen of the United States. He mar
ried the woman and is equally bound to
support her. Ishould avail myself of my
legal rights and follow him with proceed
ings for abandonment and compel hiu to
dischage his legal obligations.
but what would that availS" I inter-
jected.
''True," he unused. "He has been sup
ported all his life by the Catholic Churcn.
suppose when he found himself in sharp
competition with the world to earn a
maintenance for himself and found the
task was too burdensome for him, may be
it was natural for him to lapse into the
mood of life to which he had been accus-
toned again. The wife would not gain
much from pressing her legal rights when
l reconsider it" he concluded.
My next visit was on the Rev. w. G..
Snodgrass, the pastor of the Hedding
Methodist Church. Mr.. Snodgrass was
busily engaged in his study. but cour-
teously invited me TO a seat and gave his
views of the matter with the air of a
logician. Many of his points were in sup
port of the Catholics for consistency. :
you are, of course, familiar with the
details of the Butler case" asked.
II have been too busy to follow it close
ly," he replied, "but am fairly familiar
with its general bearings"
THE ACTION CONSISTENT.
"What do you think of the action of the
ecclesiastical authorities in the matter, -
/ next asked.
Perfectly consistent with their theory
of belief" Mr.. Snodgrass answered DELHI
erately. "The priest had taken VOW of
chastity The woman by her act of com
munion with the Church tacitly accepted
the conditions her fellowship with it i'm
posed. Now, in contracting civil mar
riage and living as man and wife, they
broke u rule of the Church and violated
their consciences. They were both de-
flying the discipline of the Church and
both subject to its rigors. Their only
course, ii they regarded the tenet of the
Church that forbade q priest to marry as
faulty, was to denounce their religion.n
But is not the Church in effect con-
doning the offence Of the priest and visit
ing the weight of its condemnation on the
woman, asked.
eff it is" Mr. Snodgrass replied, sit is
doing an injustice. Both are equally
guilty and should be liable TO equal
punishment. Ii the man is receiving
financial aid or support from the Church,
To put the matter in concise form,
would say that whatever the man receives
from the Church in the way of succor, the
woman and her offspring are entitled to.
Whatever punishment the Church visits
on the woman should be visited on the
man III like uedSuFe.
SIN OF THEIR CONSEQUENCES.
The Rev. John Crawford, of the York
Street Methodist Church, when ap-
preached on the subject, said that when
he saw the reports in the papers he had
not perused the details to conclusion,
but had satisfied himself as to the pith OF
the matter and then dropped further
pursuit of the subject as profitless He
anticipated what the outcome would be
from his knowledge of the Catholic be-
liefs in regard to marriages forbidden by
the Church. He considered that both the
priest and the woman, the one in violat-
ing his expressed. and the other in violat-
ing her implied, adhesion to q faith, had
committed sin of the conscience. He
had no opinion to offer on the matter OF
the soundness of their social relation.
A priest of the Catholic Church, who is
in position to speak with knowledge
and authority, when visited. talked sub
stantially as follows;-
"Father Butler cannot be regarded as
absolved by the Church for his offence.
He mas simply come as suppliant to the
Church and been sent in retirement to do
penance until he is pardoned. He has
been deprived Of the exercise of all
priestly Offices. and until then he is sum
moned by Bishop Wigger to come to him
he will be unforgiven. IL is safe to say
that he will never be summoned by the
Bishop. He is poor, unfortunate man,
who has fallen in the mud and is strug-
Cling to raise himself out OF It,.
SHE'S INTERESTINGLY DIsGRACED.
When / asked in what light the Church
and the Catholic community regarded
-.