The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-06-13
And Indulge in Religious Discussion
OF Veyy Interesting
Character.
WHAT TIE APOSTLES WROTE
About Oelebacy4 y4The Church Has the
Blight to Make Its Own
Regulations.

l.
was absorbed in the perusal Of some
book or other when the minister-a be-
neyulent-lookin gentleman. the father
| perchance of numerous progeny
sailed UP the car and took the seat be-
side hlm. After a few commonplace
observations about the velocity Of the
train and the weather, the conversation
assumed gradually a polemical aspect.
leave the dlsputants to speak for
themselves:
Minlster-"It often occurred to me,
rny reverend friend, that the law for
Budding the marriage Of priests is anti
biblical, and cannos but be productive
Of dire consequences"
Priest-''The very fact Of such q
thing recurring to your mind does not,
however, brand the law with the Stigma
of absurditY. The Church, perfect
society, can certainly draw up regula-
tions for its government, and, more
over, it binds those only who freely
enter the priesthood.
'sThat the law is anti. biblical requires
more proof than an unwarranted asser-
t1on. Does not ST. Paul esteem CONT
nency more than marriage: He who is
unmarried careth for the things of the
Lord, how he may please God; but he
who is married is solicitous about the
things of this world, now he may please
his wife, and he is divided (ICor. vii
80, 49, 33) Christ lived in the state Of vir-
ein1ty. ST. John was virgin, and st.
Peter and the other apostles lived, after
their VOCATION to the apostolate. separ.
ated from their wives. So strongly,
indeed, did they proclaim the merits OF
cellbacy that the Church could not but
enforce it as duty upon her ministers,
You, my dear sir, imagine, waving
your claim to q valid ordination, that
you are a dispenser of the mysteries Of
God. But the life OF a. priest worthy of
the name is one Of unswerV1ng fidelity
to his marks--it ls one OF sacrifice.
How can such spirit abide In the heart
of man who Is blessed with six or
seven children, and who is enslaved to
wife's affection. 'HoW beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet Of him that
bringeth good tidlngs,' exclaimed
Isalas; but surely if he mad foreseen the
formidable array of the bishops and
parsons wives of Great Britain and
America he would have used the plural
numter.
"a contemporary writer has wittily
remarked. that perhaps the most ardent
admirer of hymenial rights would
cheerfully admit that he could not con-
celve st. Paul or st. John starting on a
nuptial tour, surrounded. by the latest
fashions from Athens and Ephesus and
the graceful brides whom they are des.
tined TO adorn. They would feel that
Christianity itself could not survive
such vision as that The Church, in
the promulgatlon of this law, has but
bestowed her sanction upon doctrine
common to all nations and to all ages.
AS we look into the annals Of the past,
we shall hear them chanting the praises
of continency and its necessity for those
who are ordained to offer PRAYER and
sacrifice to the Almighty. The priests
Of Egypt are celibates. Virgil depicted
the glory that awaited the chaste priest
in the Elyslan field. 'Quique sacerdotes
essent dun vita manebat.' And those
countries, as we know from their history
and from the study of their monuments
and works Of art, were stepped in the
mite Of the greatest sensuality.
"How can YOU reconcile such de-
PRAYED state Of morals with their praises
of virginityl There is but one solution,
and to it your intellect, II unfettered
BY prejudice, must give assent, that the
state Of continency is more Deiitting q
minister OF God than wedlock. The
Catholic church. conscious of this uni
versal belief and animated by the ex.
ample Of Christ and His apostles. gave
it as q law to her priests. =
Minister But, my dear sir. did not
God command our first parents to in
crease and multiply 2"
Priest ''To say that there's 9 com
mand IN these words, Is to convict God
OF uttering an absurdity. because many
men have corporal impediment to
MARRIAGE. s 8s55
: No man is obliged to don the cos