The Irish standard., 1907-12-07
The Canadian Prelate, in Lengthy State
ment, Makes Clear His Reasons
For the Steps Taken.
Alarmed at the Conditions Now Existing He
Has Determined That the Evil
Shall Be Removed.

Archbishop Bruchesi, of Montreal, in
q letter to his clergy, which was read
in all the churches of the diocese on
Sunday, November II, announced that
he would not longer grant dispensations
for mixed marriages. In his letter the
Canadian prelate makes q lengthy
statement of the reasons for the step
taken, closing with this declaration:
Should we, through our united efforts.
succeed in banishing from our families
all ideas of these unions, the evil effect
of which we have just recalled, we will
feel that we have accomplished bene-
fetal work and we will render most
heartfelt thanks to our Divine Lord.
To the clergy, whom he addresses
as Dear Co-workers," the Archbishop
says:
1t is with great sorrow that we wit
ness among the Catholics Of Our diocese
an ever increasing tendency to mixed
marriages. In the past few years we
have sometimes deemed it our duty. to-
Yield to the solicitations made and to
grant, though reluctantly. the required
dispensations. But these requests are
daily becoming more numerous, and the
time has now come for energetic reac-
tionary measures; the evil must be re-
moved at all costs before 1t is too late.
This is question which eminently
concerns the faith Of our flock, and for
this reason l now appeal to all the
earnestness OF your apostolic zeal.
| In this it is not by any means our
intention to hurt the feelings of those
who do not share our belief. But their
religious principles, as they we'll know,
are essentially opposed to ours; there
fore they must not wonder IL our legis-
latior, our direction and our way Of
acting differ from theirs. When we
preach tolerance, nay, kindness and
charity towards all our brethren, to
whatever sect they may belong, we re-
main and must remain intransigent
when there is question of doctrine. For
truth is one; 1t does not suffer any COM
promise with error. The good faith Of
others deserves our respect, but 1t can
not, however, change that which God
has established. There is but one
Church; our duty Is to observe It's laws
and to have them observed. We do not
impose our dogmas upon others, and
no one can reproach us for being in
consistent when we enact rules destined
to prevent the weakening and loss of
us than life itself.
| Very Rare Exceptions.
Far be 1t from us, likewise, that we
should grieve those who are already
united by the bonds Of a mixed mar
riage, and who, not satisfied with the
lfulfillment of their strict obligations as
Catholics, devotedly exercise in their
home the duties Of true apostolate.
Unions such as we now denounce may
have sometimes procured Gods glory
and the conquest of a few souls; but
these are very rare exceptions. Unhap-
py results are by far more frequent.
and. therefore, we are confident of pro-
tecting the dearest interests Of all
those whom the Lord has intrusted to
our care when we dissuade them from
those unions so formally and so fre-
quently censured by Holy Mother
Church.
After quoting the documents Of
several Pontiffs and the instructions OF
the Sacred Congregation OF the Propa-
ganda on the subject, the Archbishop
proceeds:
= When for very serious reasons the
Church tolerates such marriage, she
does so with the deepest regret. Its
celebration cannot take place within
the church; all blessings, acts Of wor-
) ship or religious ceremonies are ban.
ishsd from 1t. It is reduced to a cold
formula ~ the strict essentials - by
which the parties express mutual con.