The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-10-19
Protestant Episcopal Expediency.

! MANY CATHOLICS are grieved over
! IN the action, or rather lack of ac-
| ton, of the Episcopal congress in
| session at San Francisco in relation to
the proposed change of the canons of
marriage and divorce. Not because it
! is considered any concern of Catholics
what other churches may do in recon
structins their canons and discipline,
! but because Catholics in common with
/ all good men and women who believe
that the stability of the state rests
upon the virtue of the citizen, Eored
that the Protestant Episcopal church
| would take a firm stand against the
divorce evil and go on record as an ally
Of the oldest church in preserving the
sanctity Of the sacrament OF matri-
,mOny. But it was not to be. After
several days discussion. after one house
Of the congress had adopted a canon
in line with the views of the rigid
churchmen who persistently urged the
prohibition of the remarriage of di-
vorced persons by Episcopal clergymen,
the other house rejected it, and the
whole matter was allowed to stand
practically as it stood before.
Such legislation leaves the Catholic
Church alone to maintain and defend
Gods law in its application to Chris
tan marriage. No power on earth can
unbend it, Its visible head upon earth
viii suffer imprisonment, as did Plus
VII through Napoleon Bonauarte.
rather than disobey the law laid down
by Christ that what God has Joined
together, let no man put asunder.'
RI. Rev. Leighton Coleman. bishop of
Delaware. is a churchman of strong
convictions and comes nearer to the
Catholic idea of the marriage sacra-
ment than others who expressed them
selves through newspaper interviews.
He said
so long as l have given any thought
to the subject of marriage and divorce
have been resolutely opposed 10 any
allowance on the part of the Church of
the remarriage. so-called, of any per-
son divorced, whether supposed tC be
innocent or guilty. 1t has always
seemed to me the course most consist
ent with Gods word and the mind of
the Catholic Church, protestant Epis-
copaD as it is also the only course, in
my judgment, for the prevention of the
ccllusoie and condOning of crimes in
this respect, with which every pastor
is too sadly informed. 1t becomes the
Church to give to the world rs uncqui-
vocal judgment on a matter SO import
ant, so affecting every foundation of
society. and so entirely religious in its
characted: for holy matrimoay is a re-
ligious rite and not a merely civil cen
tract"
Words well spoken and devoid of ex-
pediency or equivocation. Some day
the bishop who uttered them, feeling
that a church which would sacrifice
principle rather than tempt loss of
membership through adoption of a
canon bearing too hard" on divorced
persons, may seek and gain admittance
to the true fold.
That it was the waiting policy and !
the fear of secession that ultimately |
settled legislation in the Episcopal con- !
gress is perhaps best disclosed in the |
interview with Bishop Leonard of Salt |
Lake. His views undoubtedly obtained |
among the majority of delegates. Said
Bishop Leonard:
Il do not favor the proposition to |
forbid all remarriage. 1 stand on the |
old canon the old canon suits me just |
as it stands. l do not think it is