The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-03-28
A Jesuit on Divorce.


Rev. w. O'Brien Pardow, S. j.,
preached on "Matrimony as Social
Sentiment" for his last sermon to the
women and students Of the retreat
held last week ut the Sacred Heart
convent, New York. Nearly 800 wom-
Ell of wealth and social prestige
heard the address. In part Father
Pardow said:
Young, men and young women Of to-
day are brought up under the idea
that marriage can lie easily and prop
erly dissolved, and, therefore, they
enter into that serious contract with
little fore-thought. Thus, we find in
our highest and lowest circles to-day
so many living embodiments of the
old proverb, Marry i'll haste and re-
pent ut leisure" The one great source
OF crime is Il lack OF deliberation.
Marriage is not IL mere contract-a
pound OF flesh for a pound of flesh.
In dragging marriage away from the
sanctity Of the Church in indulging it
in violation of the laws of the Church,
many thousands in this country are
degrading it to the level of the bar
gain counter. The women of this coun-
try must be made to realize that mar
rlage is not merely the securing Of
man to escort them to the opera and
pay their glove bills, but that they
are entering upon the marriage state
to be helpmeet to man, to assume
the responsibilities and meet the du-
ties which this state bears by divine
right.
| Our esteemed president has uttered
a cry Of warning that has been echoed
throughout the world. In touching
the great question of race suicide, he
has sounded note Of alarm which
it required good deal Of bravery to
give. Our respected archbishop has
fully Endorsed the weighty words Of
President Roosevelt. 1t would he
well for you to pause and consider
these things at this time.
| The Church has always been the
staunch supporter Of the natural laws
in the question of matrimony, and has
thus always lent it's great authority
to support the nations of the world.
No one can see without great dread
the fearful inroads of the divorce cpl
demic among the American people.
1t has been said that the evil of d.
vorce has eaten out all the moral
force from our land. The RESPONSE
bility of the rich and educated upper
classes can not, therefore, be too much
insisted OH. AS water runs down
hill by it's own weight, so the break
Ing of the divine law among the Four
Hundred will soon reach the millions,
spreading from the classes to the
masses.
| The most serious aspect of the ques-
ton is that now the churches are al
most powerless to raise any break
water against the devouring flood.
Social sentiment alone can now act
as a restraining power. If society
men and women will frown down on
divorce and subject the remarked
divorces to social ostracism an almost
universal alienation of this curse
would be secured. Society would
thus deter those who fear its frown
from taking advantage Of our loose
legislation. But what hope is there
for a glorious future when this very
social sentiment is becoming more
tolerant of the divorce evil the more
frequently 1t is met with.
1t is for you, educated Catholic Ia
dies of the upper classes. to become in
measure the savior Of our country,
for, as has been truly said, it is not
the bristling battleships that can keep
a nation from decay. The only sure
support is in the Christian home, and
the only sure support Of the home is
the indissolvability of marriage