The Irish standard., 1890-10-11
MARRIAGE AND DIVORlE


The Lecture Of Very Rev. q. Il MoKenna,
q. r. at the Lyceum Theatre Last
Tuesday Eyem nc. .ss s,.
The fame Of Father Mel enna, the Do
minican orator, drew to the Lyceum
theatre on Tuesday evening . large audi
ence to hear his great lecture on 8 Mar
riage and Divorce" There were on the
stage number OF eli rgymen, both
Catholic and Protes' ant, and several
prominent laymen OF Minneapolis and
st. Paul, and IN the audience were scat
tered many non. Catholics who were
anxious to hear tho subject discussed
from a Catholic standpoint. The pro-
ceeds OF the lecture are to be devoted to
the purchase of parish library for
Holy Rosary Church. James r. Corri
gan introduced the eloquent divine, and
in so doing took occasion to pronounce
an eulogy upon the speaker.
Fsther McKenna began his lecture by
stating that holy writ records the fact
that it is not good FOR man to be alone.
and Of the creation of a i1elpmate for
him Since the time It Eve the inflnence
of woman has bordpred On the infinite.
In the home, on the throne, on the bat
tie field. her pane has been legion
w man has been | laced here for the
ruin and for the resurrection of many.
IF by her came our fall" said he In
pressive]y, ''she has been our resurr,c-
ton. She has been all that is beautiful
and chasten1ng in society. Angels Of
gentlent SIS and Kindness, their influence
cannot he overestimated Woman il the
great educa Or Of the heart. How many
have boon brought from error 10 truth
and rom vice 10 virtue by her Influences.
More quick Of conception, woman of on
sees and nnde stands that which man
cannot comprehend. It is in the hour
Of trial, in the gloom OF adversely that
woman's true greatness is revealed.
Then, woman, The mere ornaBe at Of
man and his companion, becomes his
support and stay. She is, tha k God,
no longer slave aud the servai If her
home that she was in the days OF Caesar.
The church has elevated her-an.l in
speaking of the church the reverend
ia her referred to the Catholic--and
made her the queen of the fam ]y, re
spected and honors d by her husband,
and respected and bonored by g. Getty.
Father McKenna granted that it is Diff
cult indeed to understand the degraded
condition Of woman in the dark days of
the world. AS soon as age had taken
the bloom of you h from The wife g
cheeks, and as soon as her natural
beauty had faded, she was cast aside for
another who was more youthful, more
beautiful and more pleasurable Again
many were condemn ed to lives Of shame
in the harerns of the east Thanks to
tn. tradition aud to the scripture of the
jews, "a d the Father in burst of elo-
quence, woman was lifted 10 a higher
and more poole position in the family
circle than she occupied in other creeds
Judaism honored woman because of Che
tradition of Mary, and 1t is not known 60
others than Catholics how much woman
realty owes to the Virgin Mary The
education # woman is Largely due to he
position taken by the Catholic church
upon the sanctity and stability of mar
riage. There are many who would cast
off the wife were it not for the awful
vision of the Vatican that rises menac.
ingly before them. In spe liking of the
attitude ct the Pope upon the sa red
ness Of woman's chastity, Father Nc
Kenna said, "Away in Rome there WIS
an old man seated who could not be
overcome by threats, who could not be
purchased by promises, and the courage
OF the would-be Decorators was gone,
because they knew they conl] not sue
coed by threats. Plus VII. would not
allow Napoleon to degrade and dishonor
an American girl, Miss Patterson, Of
Baltimore, as was his intention. He
would allow the entire nation to be swe,. t
from the face Of this earth rather than
permit woman to be disgraced.
The sp. aker explained that there are
three classes Of marriages, natural, civil
and religious, and he proceeded to give
an exposition of the specific forms. lie
said the natural takes place outside of
civil zation. such as among he untutored
children Of the forest, and he gave a
picturesque description of the custom
among The Mile Laos, the savages of the
north. Among them there is NO divorce,
The husband lives true to the wife dur
ing his lifetime, and many pale ate. =
said the Father, ''could learn aprofitable
less from them and their fidelity 10
their wives = s.The civil marriage is that
which is pronounced by justice OF th..
peace or other representative Of the
law" and the speaker thought it but