The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-04-11
WHO MAY MARRY.
e Law Of the Church Regarding
Marriage Impedimen+e


marriage Impediments.
nosn Is something in the eternal ft-
bc@. 80 VI Ihlngs which makes Maria 90
olia zen relatives abhorrent. The Cath
10 tio,, ,iuic On recognizes a three fold re-
l,aI t3-piood relationship. spirit
NJ leidionship and legal RELATIONSHIPS,
we shall consider each in tnrn ''''''''' T.
Ndtura or blood relationship is tbat
mnIch exists between persons. one Of
'oIl oescends directly from the other
VI pcth Of whom descend from com
-,loli pfoSemtor or progenitress. In or
aeF 10 grasp the full bearing of this
- = llipeulfneht, we must distinguish and
uSlie certain terms. The common nro-
Senitor or stock. which is the fountain
nedd OF the relationship: the line. or
e!Ies OF persons who descend from the
common stock; and the grade. or dis
7 ldlce which one or the other of tho
contracting parties stands from the
pIlmogenitor.
heologlahS distinguish two kinds OF
ilht s-the straight Or direct line which
lnulcates the descent Of son from IA
ther' grandfather and SO on: the trans
verse or collateral line. which indicates
lhose whose blood come Indirectly from
me same font such as brothers and
SISTERS. uncles and nieces. and cousins
VI Whatever degree. When both par
res 10 a marriage are equally distant
rom the common progenitor, they are
SAID to be related in equal grade, When
one is nearer to the stock than the
other, they are said to be related in IN
equal grade. Thus, first cousins are re-
lated in equal grade; uncle and niece,
IN unequal grade. 1t may not be I'M
necessary to remark that the rela ton
snip which gives rise to the impediment
may come through mother as we'll as
father and through those who are not
Joined IN lawful wedlock as well as
through husband and wife.
The grade of consanguinity is easily
Teckoned. Father and daughter are re-
lated in the first degree. direct: grand
father and granddaughter in the sec
ond degree. direct, and so on. Brother
and sister are related in the first degree
collateral: first cousins. in the second
degree: second cousins in the third de-
gree; and third cousins in the fourth
degree, Ond so on. In the direct line
there are therefore as many grades as
persons-eliminating always the pri-
mcSenitor of the line. The same is true
OF collateral descendants who are both
equally distant from the common stock.
In collateral lines of unequal grade the
relationship is counted from the more
remote. Thus. uncle and niece are re-
lated in the second degree. or more ac-
curately in the second degree touching
the first.
There may be a manifold natural re-
lationship between the contracting par
ties that is. their blood may descend
through various channels from the par
ent stream. Thus, Peter may desire to
marry Mary. his third cousin. But
Peters parents were second cousins TO
eacn other, and also to Mary's father.
T@u see at once that there is here a
complex relationship, and that matters
are becoming quite complicated. Then.
again. there may be two-fold common
parent. Thus John and James, brothers,
marry. respectively, Mary and Clara,
sisters. The relationship between the
offspring of these two marriages would
be multiple-there being two common
springs from which the blood descends.
Again. if a man marries two sisters,
his children by each union are related
in the first degree because of their ia
Their and in the second because of their
mcthers-that is. the same person is at
once Their stepmotiler and their aunt.
a compiled ton which is counted dis
graceful and reprobated most cordially
by the church.
it is now in order to see how far
these various relationships invalidate
marriage Let it be said at once that
the fm4rriage Of relatives in the direct
line can never take place. A father
cannot take to wife his daughter or his
granddaughter or his great-grand-
daughter. All theologians agree that
marriage between father and daughter.
mother and son. is forbidden by the law
OF nature. The child is subject to his
parent and not an equal. The learned
dispute about the other grades. But
you see that the question is purely
academic. We often hear of the union
of June and December, but such aill-
auces never occur between grandfathers
and great gra nddaughters and their
budding posterity.
In the collateral line, marriage is in
valid to the fourth degree inclusively.
Third cousins are related in the fourth
degree and they cannot, without a dis
pensation, enter valid nuptials. This
law was laid down by Innocent III in
the Fourth Lateran council. Previous
to his time. the impeachment extended to
the seventh degree. The reason OF the
law is. first to preserve chastity. were
il allowable for people under the same
roof of people between whom custom
permits the freest familiarity 10 CO.
habit there would be no end of disor-
der vice would stalk shamefaced
throughout the land and the sacredness
Of home life would quickly vanish.
Second TO promote friendship and not
10 confine the sphere of ones affections
to those only who come from common
trunk Third. to prevent the gradual eX-
tinction of families The children OF
conse nguineous parents are often weak
Of body. and more often weak OF nina
IF Won need a proof of this. READ the
storv of some of the proudest Euro
pean houses.
Marriage between persons related IN
the second and more remote degrees Is
made invalid by ecclesiastical law only.
Tbeo1ogians dispute as to whether the
natural the ecclesiastical or the posi-
tive divine law invalidates marriage
between brother and sister. The Welght
If 'opfnion gives the honor TO the 4ast.
Won may settle the question TO suit
1,o,Irself But. as you will never ne
tempted to marry your brother or your
sister Won viii have your pains for your
pay.
The sniritua1 relationship which m
validates matrimony is concentrated III
baptism and confirmation lhese wv
sacraments imprint character upo'i
10 enrI and as it were, lift the sub
iect or him to whom they are aulilIiI-
Stored d into a higher and more spirit
nal existence. There is a new se .,
e ant The baptizer and the baptized;
tba confirner and the confirmed stano
IN = new relationship to each otn Ter