The Irish standard., 1907-09-21
The Sanctity Of the Marriage Relation to Be
Protected and Zealously Guarded
For All Time.
After Easter Sunday Next The Church Will
Not Recognize as Valid The Civil
Union of Catholics.

A most important decree has just
been issued by the Congregation of
the Council at Rome concerning mar
riages. Under the decree, which be-
marriages between Catholics, not cele-
brated before properly qualified
Catholic priest. are absolutely null and
void. says the Catholic Citizen. Here
toforc marriages between Catholics be-
fore a justice of the peace, or other
civil officer. or a Protestant minister.
while held Illicit, were valid.
Under the new law, such marriages.
while still illicit, are regarded as void
and invalid-in fact. no marriage at
all. After Easter, 1908, Catholics mar
ried' in this manner must be mar
ried by a priest. as In the eyes of the
church they are still unmarried.
There will be only two exceptions
to this law. which is applicable to all
countries in the world. The first is
that when there is imminent danger OF
death and no duly authorized priest is
| obtainable, then, any clergyman can
perform the ceremony in the presence
of two witnesses. The second is that
when there is no priest obtainable in
the district a man and woman may
contract Il marriage that will be valid
merely by announcing their consent or
intentions in the presence of two wit
nesses.
The new decree supersedes the
"Tametsi" decree of the Council OF
Trent, and differs notably from that de-
cree in the fact that while the "Tamet- t.
si' was local, that is to say, regarded
persons as belonging to certain place
the Decree of the Council is personal
1t settles all the difficulties arising
from the marriages of Protestants in
places where the "Tametsi was hith-
erto in force. For the new decree pro-
claims that nom Catholics may every
where contract marriage validly among
themselves Independently of the legis-
lation of the Catholic Church. The
only Catholics who come within
the scope of the new law are those
who contract marriage with Catholics
and persons who have apostatized from
the Catholic Church,
Ninety per cent of the questions
connected with sponsalia (pFomise OF
marriage), will be settled by the first
paragraph of the decree, which is very
simple. The Church recognizes nc
sponsalia except those contracted in
writing, signed by the man and the
woman Cor by a special witness for
them in case they are unable to write)
and by qualified priest or the Ordin
ary and by two witnesses.
Under the regulations Of the Council
Of Trent. marriages not performed in
the presence Of the parish priest, or a
priest delegated by him. were regarded
as null and void However, these regu-
lations applied only to those dioceses in
which they were promulgated AS a
fact, in most English speaking coun-
tries, the decree was never published
| and hence was not in force. In the do
cese Of st. Louis, formerly under the
French jurisdiction, the decree was
published, and hence all Catholic mar
riages to be valid, had to be performed
before a qualified priest. In practic.
ally all the Eastern diocese, Boston
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore
and in most of the Western diocese
Chicago. Milwaukee. ST. Paul. Du-
buque. the decree was never published
and never in force. Hence the mar
riage Of Catholics before a civil off,
Ger or Protestant minister. while illicit
was valid. Under the new rule, how.
ever, throughout America and the en-.
tire Catholic world. the marriage o.
! Catholics must take place in the pres.
ence Of a duly qualified priest, or b.