The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-06-12
MARRYING THEUNMARR|ED
BISHOP TYING NUPTIAL KNOTS IN
HAWAII.
Porto Rican Couples Who Have Not
Sworn to Love, Honor and Obey.
Marriages in Few Families.

Father Gulstan Ropert, Bishop of
Panapols is in kohala on rather un-
usual mission. 1t is no less than to
unite in marriage the heads of num-
erous Porto Rican families. A letter
from Hawaii states that he has been
doing a flourishing business marrying
as many as twenty couples per day
/ The letter says
The Bishop of Panapois has been
in Kohala the past week looking after
the Porto Ricans who have come there.
As is known very few of them are mar
ried, though they have large families.
The Bishop has been hunting up the
parents and requiring them to be mar
ried."
At the Catholic Cathedral it is learn
ed that there was only a semblance Of
marriage law in Porto Rico and is
was so loose that it was never fol-
lowed in the districts inhabited by the
poorer classes. This has gone on so
long that a recreation of the system
has been under American domination
found necessary"
When the Bishop discovered that
many of the Porto Ricans arriving here
were not properly welded he decided
TO start out and correct the condition.
Under United States laws everyone of
them was liable to criminal prosecution.
This is what the Bishop started out to
tell them; he was also prepared to mar
ry them on short notice
The Bishop Will visit all of the ISL
ands, including Kauai. on this mission.
Those who have had to do with the
Porto Ricans coming here state that,
large as the proportion of children
among them is, there have been few
marriages The people have been re-
duced by their poverty and enslaVe-
ment to Spanish priests at home to a
level at which they have no care for
marriage ceremonies. 1t is stated that
the priests of Porto Rico. like those i'm
some other Spanish countries, made
marriage ceremonies so costly that the
poor people could not afford to wed.
/ The condition of the immigrants COM
ing here attracted the attention of the
local Catholic priests and the trip of
bishop PanOpolis to Hawaii was re-
suit. Not only in the matters of food
and finances, but morally and socially,
the men and women from Porto Rico
/ seem to be entering a new life here, for
they are now reported to be marrying
according to the rites of the church of
which they are members, and the To-
cal Catholic fathers are sparing no eff
forts to assist them to a realization
OF the need for SO doing
The undesirable social characteristic
which the fathers are tryin~ to rem
| edy, and which has been transferred
| to Hawaii from Porto RlcO, was n
feature of all the possessions acquired
| by the United States from Spain Porto
Rico. Guam and the Philippines. In
| Guam the matter was quickly settled
J by q peremptory order from Governor
Leary, for general marrying of all cou-
| pies living together as man and wife,
and the governor startled the natives
by performing the former expensive
ceremonies without charging anything.
Another noticeable feature of the Por-
to Rican immigrants is the early age
at which the psuedo marriages that
have done service in the past take
place. Quarantine and immigration
officers here have been surprised to see
mothers fourteen years of age and even
younger, struggling along in rags with
| their babies in arms. If Bishop Pano-
polls succeeds in his mission these viii
all be regularly married hereafter.