Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-10
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
A Roman Catholic Wow of tho
Great Question of Morals.

A Roman Catholic View OF the
Great Question of Morals.
At the church of the Immaculate Con-
ception yesterday, the pastor, Rev j. A.
Mulcahy, delivered one of series Of SER
mons upon the marriage sacrament and
divorce.
THAT the married state is pleasing to
God" SAID the reverend gentleman,
was shown when he wrought his first
miracle at Cana of Gallilee, to relieve
the embarrassment of the Young hus-
band and wife who had invited him to
their nuptials. That the married state
is an honorable and holy one, and that
in it the highest sanctity is attainable.
the same facts prove.
Marriage is holy, because it is one of
ne seven sacraments of the church
This Is formal testimony of Christ to
the sanctity of this state That it is a
sacrament, is a fundamental dogma of
the church. st Paul shows us the
sanctity of this state and its elevation to
the dignity of sacrament, when he
says: Husbands love your wives as
Christ loved the church and delivered
Himself up for it. Because of this
union man shall leave his father and
mother and cleave to his wife and they
shall be two in one flesh. This is a
great sacrament, but l speak to you in
oAiA A'C anu Vic SlluICI. Inc narnlOnV
and perfection which mark all the works
OF God would be wanting here, were
there not bestowed upon marriage a
Speclal sacramental grace-a grace per-
tanning to the state, and not depending
upon the merits or dement's of the con
tracing parties Reason enlightened by
faith, asks for this. And why 1t is the
providence of God to fit the back for the
burden that he imposes. and were there
sacrament hnro h,,rI
imposed without the corresponding
grace.
mo one denies that the duties of the
narrled state are more onerous than
tnose OF the single state. 1t is not an
easy thing for the husband to control
and guide every affection of his heart so
that he shall love one, and one alone.
ana love her with that pure, holy and
ardent love with which Christ loved His
church, and be like the Savior, willing
10 lay down his life for her sake. And
the millions of men who resort to every
device to be freed from the marriage
bonds, and hesitate not to perpetrate the
foulest crimes to attain this purpose,
attest this truth. And on the part of
the woman the labor is still greater She
must forego her natural liberty and at
times cut asunder the most sacred ties
that her life had hitherto known. Even
the mother who bore her she must often
renounce to please the caprice of some
unloving husband. And to the degrade
ton of her sex it must be said that, too
often woman does not hesitate to play
this tyrannical part. When it is ques-
ton between the allegiance owed to
husband or wife. and that which is owed
10 parents, there can be no hesitancv.
The daughter, if need be, must be lost in
the wife, and the son in the husband:
but respect and affection for those to
whom under God you owe your life,
should never be extinguished Every
lawful affection makes broader and bet
ter our life.
TO properly fulfill the duties of the
married state in our modern
civilization, demands a very great
grace. In proof we need but adj
duce to the married thousands who vio-
late every law human and div inc, natu-
raj and supernatural: and those other
tens of thousands who, having given
blrth to children will not devote their
lives to their care. Every true mother
should be crowned queen. Every
father whose heart finds its chlefest
delight in leading his little ones to God,
is the true ornament of society. Far as
are the heavens above the earth these
fathers and mothers stand above those
who through either selfish or sensual
motives partake not of these duties.
Another quality essential to mar
riage, rendering it more sacred, is that
it cannot be broken except by the death
of husband or wife. The words spoken,
the faith pledged, the choice made,
can never be recalled. On this
matter it is, however. scarcely necessary
to say much. Catholics. for the far
greatest part, respect the indissolubility
of the marriage tie. Yet the frequency
with which men and women apply to
the civil courts for limited divorce, with
out complying with any of the condi-
tions demanded by the church: the
tlippant and unchristian manner in
which Catholic lawyers here and there
treat it before their tribunals, and now
and then Catholic Legislators before their
assemblies, would give some reason to
fear that this error of Professionalism was
commencing to inject Its deadly poison
into the veins of our Catholic people.
Indeed the best element in Protestant
ism deeply deplores the error, and is
using its most strenuous efforts to Dring
back the people to the teaching of
Christ, who says: what God hath
joined together, let no man put asun-
der
"Indissolubility of the marriage tie
finds its type in the nature of God, in
the nature of man himself, and it's
necessity IN the wants of civil and
domestic society. Divorce has never
been constituted law among christian
nations except in times of religious re-
volt. 1t is at best but legalized adul-
terry"