The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-08
HOME AND FIRESIDE.
SELECTIONS ESPECIALLY FOR THE
FAMILY CIRCLE.
Status of women-Cardinal Gibbons Talks
About Divorce-What the Church Has
Done for Women-An Electrical Wedding

Described.
Cardinal Gibbons preached on Sunday.
March 1. a sermon at Baltimore bearing on
the subject Of divorce.
During his remarks he said
Christian wives and mothers. what an i'm
mense debt of gratitude you owe 70 Christ
and his Church for your emancipation. and
the dignity which you enjoy in the Christian
commonwealth. If you are no longer slaves
Of mans passions, like the women of Asia,
but his peer and equal; if you are no longer a
tenant at will. like the wives of Pagan Greece
and Rome. but mistress of your household; II
you are no longer confronted with usurpng
rivals like MOhammedan and Mormon wives
but if you are the queen OF the domestic
kingdom. YOU are indebted for this position
to the Church.
said YOU are queen of the domestic king
dom. If yOu would retain that empire, shun
the political arena avoid the rostrum; beware
of unsexing yourselves. If you become en-
troiled in political agitation. tho queenly
aureola that encircles Your brow will fade
away. and the reverence that IS paid to YOU
will disappear If you have the vain ambl-
ton of reigning in public life, your domestic
empire will be at an end.
The subject of divorce Is invested with
painful interest in our time and country.
There are more divorces legally granted IN
the United States than in any other Christian
country-more. perhaps, than IN all other
Christian countries combined.
In the space of twenty years. according 10
official statistics. from 1867 10 1856. inclusive,
800. 900 divorces were granted IN the United
States: that IS 10 say, twO-thlrds OF a million
persons were legally separated during that
time The number Of divorces has steadily
increased in that time, and beyond all pro-
portion TO the general increase of population.
Divorces are granted on the most tlnsv pre-
texts and throughout the country divorce
courts are established which are very appro-
priately called divorce mills" since they
grind out divorces with such rapldty and crush
out happiness from the domestic roof
Let the imagination picture 10 itself the
number Of homes made desOate by this de-
stroying angel: the number of husbands and
wives whose hearts are crushed and whose
spirits are broken: the number Of children
that are east upon the world Oereit OF fathers
protecting arm and of a mothers love- who
dare not cling 20 one OF their parents with
out arousing the Jealousy and hatred OF the
other.
But is it not heartless and cruel 10 compel a
husband and wife t. live together who cannot
SO live in peace. and who are 50 entirely es-
tranged from one another answer that the
laws of the Gospel do not Obhge some per-
sons 10 dwell together if there IL no hope of
reconciliation between them. They are al
lowed 10 live apart. and 20 obtain divorce
from bed and board. But. you VIII insist, j.
it not cruel and unnatural 20 condemn such
persons 10 a life OF forced celibacy after
they are separated Would it not be more
mcrciful 10 permit them TO enter into sacred
nuptials and enjoy the society Of a con-
genial partner in marriage; You speak Of mercy
t. the separated couple; but is no mercy
10 be shown 70 the peace and good order OF
society? l. no mercy 10 be shown 10 the gos-
pei of Christ. which upholds our society? All
laws are made for the common good, and
every law has its personal lnconyeniences; II
YOU abrogate law because Of its incidental an
noyances. YOU undermine all legislation. It's
on that principle that the atheist objects 10
the observance OF Sunday when he would pre-
fer to work. and that the saloon-keeper Oh;
iects to the closing Of his store when he would
rather sell.
1t is better that one man should suffer than
that a whole nation should perish. Better.
far better. that IN a few individual cases di-
vorced people should be fobidden 70 marry
than that the foundation of the sacred ediilce
of society should be undermined.