The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-09-19
new MARRIAGE LAW
Order From Rome in Regard to
Marriages Causes Surprise
Among Catholics Of City
CIVIL MARRIAGES TO BE VOID
Priest Must Be Present When Mar
riage is Celebrated Between Cath
o1ics if Ceremony Is to Be Rec
Ognized by Church

In practical effect regulations Of
the Council of Trent, relating to mar
rage, have been promulgated in ke-
nosha, in common with all parts Of the
Christian world, by the decree just
issued by the Congregation Of the
Council at Rome, concerning mar
rage of Catholics.
After Easter, 1908, all marriages of
Catholics must be performed in the
presence of qualified Catholic priest
into writing, with witnesses, or they
will be considered not only illicit as
they are now regarded, but also null
and void.
All marriages before Protestant
ministers or civil officers will be null
and void, and in the case of mixed
marriages, or the marriage of Catho-
lie and Protestant, the rite must be
solemnized by priest of the Catholic
church, to be regarded as valid.
Two notable RECEPTIONS are allowed
in the decree. The most noteworthy
of these is that where no priest is OBJ
taina BILE in the district for month a
man and woman may contract valid
marriage by merely announcing their
consent or intentions in the presence
of two witnesses. The other exception
provides that where there is imminent
danger of death and no duly author
lied priest can be obtainab1e, any
clergyman may perform the ceremony
in the presence of two witnesses.
The issuance of this decree comes as
surprise to the Catholic hierarchy
of the United States, whose members
were not consulted in regard 70 it.
Archbishop Messmer, in an ;atsrvfaw
on August %, characterized the brief
announcement IN Rome advices as a
"fake Dispatch" saying that it was
not usual for Rome to take step so
vital without consulting the bishops
of the country which it would affect.
The new decree will work interest
ing changes. Justices of the Peace of
the Catholic faith, for instance, may
no longer officiate at the marriage of
Catholics without committing griev-
Gus sin.
Heretofore the ''tametsi'' decree of
the Council of Trent has never been
promulgated in missionary or Protest
ant countries, and consequently was
never IN force there. In few places
in the United States, however, as St.
Louis, New Orleans and Santa Fe,
originally Catholic territory, the de.
cree has been promulgated and is still
in effect.
The present decree is broader in it's
scope, relating not to places but to
persons. 1t settles all difficulties aris-
ing from the marriage of Protestants
in places where the ''tamesti' is in
force, by declaring that everywhere
non-Catholics may validity contract
marriage among themselves independ-
emily of the legislation of the Catho-
lie church. The only non-Catholics
who come within it's scope are those
who have MISUNDERSTANDING or who
have apostasized from the church.
One of the features of the new de-
cree is the rule requiring that the
marriages Oh OdluOl1CS must De en-
tered, not only in the book lof mar
riages, but likewise INF the !book of
baptisms, and if the marriage takes
place outside of the parish. in which
either of the contracting sparties was
baptized, the priest off the parish
where the marriage was solemnized
must transmit the announcement to
the priests Of such parishes, that the
marriages may be entered in the book
of baptisms there.
Parish priests who violate the laws
thus laid down are to be published by
their ordinances according to the
nature and gravity of their trangres-
sion.