The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-01-18
The Aged Pontiff Would Not Dissolve the
Tie That Bound Catholic
+ to Protestant
Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, Put
Away His American Wife and
Married Another.

easy for me to have the marriage an
lulled, as the Galican church recog-
lizes the non-validity of such mar
'iages. But it would be better effect
ID at Rome, were it only to serve as
IN example to members Of reigning
houses who contract marriages with
Protestants. I would urge great Sc
crecy in this proceeding on your holi-
ness. Only when learn that you con-
sent to this step shall cause the
marriage to be civilly annulled. 1t is
important, even in France, that no
Protestant girl should be so nearly
related to me. It is dangerous that
minor of 10 years of age, of distin-
guished position, should be exposed to
so great a temptation, contrary to
civil laws, and to every sort of pro-
priety. Meanwhile pray that God
may preserve you many years, most
holy father, to the government of our
mother, holy Church. Your devoted
son, Napoleon.
The following is the Pope's reply to
the great emperor of France. In spite
OF this decided answer from the aged
pontiff, Napoleon returned to the
point, and piled entreaties, menaces
and commands, but all in vain; and if
the marriage was ever declared null,
or another performed, it was. by the
pontiff's decision, all illegal. Said the
Pope:
"Among all then ms which have
been advanced by your majesty, or
which we can imagine, there is not one
which would justify us in pronounc-
ing the nullity Of the said marriage
Each of the three memorials trans
mitted by your majesty is based on
principles which are contradicted by
the principles of the others; therefore
these memorials destroy each other.
The first laying aside the other diri-
ment impediments, contends that only
two apply to the present case; the
difference Of religion of the contract
ing parties, and the absence of the
pastor from the celebration of the
marriage. The second rejects these
impediments: but alleges two others,
in the absence of the consent Of the
mother and relations Of the groom,
who is a minor, and in the allegation
of a. rape (raptus) which is indicated
by the word seduction The third
does not agree with the second, and
adduces the sole reason Of nullity the
absence of consent of the pastor of the
groom, a consent which Is declared to
have been necessary, since the groom
had not changed his domicile, and
since the Council Of Trent prescribed
the consent Of the parish priest as alb
solutely necessary in marriages. An
analysis Of these contrary opinions
shows that four impediments are al
legged; but having. examined these
separately, we could not find one
which, in accordance with the prin-
ciples of the Church, would authorize
us to pronounce this consummated
marriage null.
'In the first place, the difference of
religion, which the Church regards as
a diriment Qnvalidating) impediment,
is not verified when both of the con-
tracting parties are baptized, even
though one of them may not be in the
Catholic communion. This impedi-
ment exists only in union contracted
between Christian and an infidel (or
an unbaptized Protestant. The
Church abhors marriage between
Catholics and baptized Protestants:
but she recognizes them as valid. In
the second place it is not correct to
say that the laws of France pronounce
null, so far as the Sacrament of Matri-
mony is concerned, those marriages
which minors contract without the
consent of their parents or guardians.
In 1929 the French lay legislative
body itself, in reply to the representa-
lions of the general assembly of the
clergy, declared that in their nullif-
cation of those marriages the legisla-
tors had intended to affect only the