The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-15


 no man put asunder.'
 "The only cause mentioned by the Savior for separation Is adultery, be- cause that is the only cause that in- fuences the marriage bond in its prop CT sense, but there are other causes which permit separation and are rec ognized by the church in common with universal sanction. Those causes, whether adultery or other crimes, are reasons for separation, but in no case can either party marry again, or is their marriage in accordance with the testimony of Scripture and the church.
 "The church allows separation where there are iustifying reasons. She Is the judge, however, her authorities must be consulted, but nev- CT will she permit for any cause re- marriage. This Is the stand she has always taken, takes now, and ever will take unto the end of time. Examine the records of the past. In the ninth century Pope Nicholas I took up the defence of Thietberga whom Lothaire King of Lorraine, sought to repudiate. Though the council and legates Of the Pope were bribed by the king. yet the Vicar of Christ stood firm, degrading the Archbishops and his legates and accommodating the king. Such was the unfiinching attitude of Urban II in the eleventh century when he put under ban of communication Phillip I of France who had cast off Bertha, his lawful spouse. Toes, Bishop of Chartres, wrote to the king as follows The king may do with me as ne sees fit: whether he put me in prison, or place me beyond the protection of the law, in any event am determined to endure all things in defense of this law of God
 And what shall we say of tho suf- ferings endured in defense of this same law by Celestine III, an Innocent III, at the hands of Philip II of France by a Clement VIII, Paul III at the hands of Henry VIII, and of a Plus VII at the hands of Napoleon at whose nod em- pires rose and fell and the world trem- hled3
 'The striking language of St. Je- rome epitomizes the attitude of the Church, its uncompromising stand, as long as the husband lives. be he guilty of adultery, be he guilty of sodomy. be he rocking with filth of every descrip- tion, and abandoned by his wife cn &C., count of his crime. he Is still consid- cred her husband, and she is not per- mitted to marry another.
 "The Catholic Church is the buiwark of the Christian home: she Is the fear less defender of her fair beloved daughters. Rather than destroy one single family, or allow a wronged wife to be turned adrift by a sensual hus- band she would today, as she has done in the past, sacrifice a kingdom. She would cast aside a hundred million of her adherents. And her position is the only one. Permit divorce for any cause and you may just as we'll allow it for every cause. Such Is the ingenuity and perverseness of desire that every plea for divorce will be registered un- der the one permissive cause. If you allow 1t for what is called the Scrip tural cause. then every proceeding in the divorce courts will be brought under that head, no matter what the actual cause for which such proceed tion for the family and for society is the absolute prohibition of divorce, and the Catholic Church alone adopts this plan on reason and on principle.
 Nowadays to such pass have things come that the facility and fre- quency of divorce is the laughing stock of the world. A would-be social re- former and leader of women's clubs re- gently proclaimed that divorce was the only thing. Forsootth the ipse dlxit of a doting old maid would settle with a sentence the most monentous question of the social hour while a leading New York paper has taken to calculating the average time of divorce suits. So many an hour 1t exclaims, and laughs in derision. Tn contradis- tinction to such occurrences, and to the many halfway measures and com promises of other religious denomina- tions, the Catholic Church raises mar riage to the dignity of a sacrament, a great sacrament as St. Paul expresses it, a sacrament typical of the union of Christ with His church and therefore as inviolable in unity and permanence as the Savlour's residence in the church of his foundation. As 0 sacrament it gives to the recipients all those graces so necessary for the performance of the many difficult duties of motherhood and fatherhood.
 'The responsibilities of the married life are numerous and great. Many foolish young people enter on the mar ried state without a single reflection on, or realization of, those grave re- responsibilities. They are wise in their own conceits, too wise to be advised by older and more thoughtful people. Marry in haste, repent at leisure,' is an old and true saying that exempli- fies such a course of conduct. Those young people live to rue their folly and many a smiling countenance disguises bleeding, broken heart If they re- alized the awful dignity of the prom ises they were to utter, realized the terrible responsibility before God in- cured by marriage. realized, moreover, and understood that that union was to be a perpetual one. union that noth- ing but death could sever, they would be less disposed to marry in haste and more disposed to view with awe the sacredness of marriage.
 "A marriage union should be con tracted only after long and prayerful thought after careful counsels of pa rents and spiritual advisers, and being a sacrament it should be received as all sacraments of the living should be received. in the state of grace. there fore after a good confession and com munfon. By those means the blessing of God is brought into the lives of the contracting parties, and Gods grace strengthens them, enabling them to perform the duties of their state in the fear and love of God.
 "Parents, indeed, incur an awful re- sponsibility. Theirs Is grand voca- tion. Next to the dedication of a life to God there is no nobler or holier state than matrimony. The Christian father and Christian mother cooperate with God In the work of Creation. They increase Ills external glory by lgivfng children to the church and saints to heaven, and woe be to the parents that neglect their duty in this respect. Remember, too, the duties to- wards your children imposed upon you by the sacrament of matrimony. Your children will reflect yourselves.
 "If children see nothing Tn their homes but careless living. constant ouarrels and bickerings. none of that mutual respect. reverence and love that must characterize the married life oF tt,air narents how can we eXDect