Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-18
Union Of Catholics and Professionals
Are Thus Declared.
pISpENSATION MUST BE SECURED
Catholic Church Imposes Strict condi-
tons on Members of Church Who
Desire to Marry Protestants-cere
mony Must Be by Priest.

before a priest, of that creed will unite
in marriage atmember of the Catholic
church with one protesting the belief
of any Of the Protestant denomina-
tons, nor the penalties imposed by
the former church upon those who are
Joined in wedloek by minister from
Protestant church or by justice of
the peace. Before a Catholic clergy
man can perform ceremony in which
one of the parties is a non-Catholic it
is necessary for dispensation to be
issued by the bishop of the diocese
sanctioning the marriage In the
event of member of the church be-
ing married by other than one of the
Catholic clergy, the offending mem
Der is communicated from the
church and can only be reinstated in
the church by a dispensation from the
bishop in case minister performs the
ceremony, or by consent of the pastor
when the marriage knot is tied by
justice of the peace
The marriage of Catholics to Pro-
testants has always been question
of Importance in the Catholic church.
and it is matter of gossip now in
official religious circles that the Catho-
| lie church is to be more emphatic
than in recent years in it's objections.
When sectarian feeling ran high there
were few demands for dispensations
Of this kind; now that the churches
are drawing closer and learning to
look tolerantly on each others creeds,
especially in this country, such mar
riages are becoming more and more
numerous, but it is said on Catholic
authority that unfortunately they are
no happier in their results than they
ever were.
A priest high in the councils of this
archdiocese said:
"The c. I'll forbids such mar
riages, BIZ . laws of the church are
| first of al. uided by common sense.
She is too old not to have learned to
4 allow for nature and she who made
this law may certainly rescind it in
certain cases at her discretion. But
such marriages are nearly always I'M
happy in their results, and the church
makes the conditions very hard to
4 fill in the hope of lettering as many
as possible from undertaking it. In
the first place, the non-Catholic par
ty must have been baptized in some
church recognizing the rite of baptism
II this is not done the marriage is in
any case invalid.
"Then, before granting a dispense,
ton, and some sound canonical rea
son must be shown for doing so, the
church demands that three condi
lions must be acceded to by the non
Catholic party to the marriage; first
the Catholic must be allowed to prac
tice all forms of religion without hin
drance; second, all the children Of
the marriage must be brought up il
the Catholic faith; third, after being
Joined by the priest they must agree
to go through no other ceremony. Ev
en- after all this has been acceded tt
and the dispensation has been grant
ed it is in no respect a religious cere
mony; the parties may not be mar
; ried in the chuch, but only in The
priests house, and the priest may no
wear any of his vestments.
"The canonical reasons spoken o
are merely common-sense reasons. tt
: any one who thinks of the matter a
all, several reasons will immediatel.
occur; for instance, if the Catholi
live in wholly Protestant commun
: ity and have no friends but Protest
: ants, or if any great public or privat
f good depend upon the consummatiol
!, of the marriage, and SO on"
e A member of the Jesuit order il
! New York was more emphatic in hi
3 denunciation of such marriages. H
said:
"Of all that have performed, sa
from thirty to thirty-five, l have no
: known more than two to have happ
g results Two people have har
e enough time to get along together al
: their lives without the added burde
i of religious differences. Most decided
n ly we set our faces against them; w
o do not prohibit them absolutely, Blu
It we make it as difficult as possible
i Persuasion is our best weapon. Blu
y what would you have? have know
l. cases where the priest and the Who'll
y family have gone down on their knee
t to beg the young person to reflect o
e what he or she was about to do, an
n all with no effect And then very Xix,
e ly in year or month or even
d week-I have it so-the same youn
4. person will come to the priest for az
a vice or consolation, praying to be r.
o leased; then it is too late. 1t is cas-
ID for young persons to make all mai
ner of promises in the view of ma
a