The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-10
MIXED MARRIAGES.

Among the most serious impedments to com
mon family, well as common Sunday worship
are mixed marriages. In fact, the former cannot
have place with the latter; and we may add the lat
ter cannot happen where the former have been
healthily practiced.
The young man or maiden who has from in
fancy lived in an atmosphere of Catholic common
prayer will not easily picture happiness for him
self or herself in faith-divided household On
the other hand mixed marriages render difficult.
often almost impossible, all the duties of a Cath
ohc home. Religion, which ought to bless home
with peace, and help husband and wife where nee
essary, to mutual forbearance, is often the chief
cause of dissenson and of lifelong quarrels The
fancy so common before mixed marriages that
Eve are all worshpping the one God" however
plausible in theory does not, in after life when
worship takes itself the forms of actual practice
realize single of the deusive promises.
The morning offering" of the children; the
prayers they to be taught the schools they are
to attend; the Catechism they have to learn at
home In the evenings; the Sacraments for which
in succession, they are to be prepared and which
they are to receive; the beautiful ceremonies of
their first Communion and Confirmation: all. in p
thoroughly Catholic household, are so many graces
descending directly from Heaven and largely bless
ing the parents as well as the little ones
On the other hand, in homes of mixed religion
how many times do those that should be sources
Of happiness become occasions of strife among the
parents-and scandal to the children Sometimes
Catholic young woman is satisfied that her prom
ised husband will not interfere" that he will cal
low her to have her own way with her children |
Does she calculate on the danger of his changing
his mind, or on the possibility of his relatives by
and-by, challenging him his weakness in Civ
ing IN, on such point to woman? And in the |
best OF circumstances does she set before herself
the having to do without his aid and support in all
that regards the religious forming of the chill
drens minds and habits? The inertness of her
husband in the matter of religon-and inertness is
the best thing she hopes for-wl reproduce itself
in her boys, as they grow nigh to manhood. In
deed, unless where father has made himself de-
graded or repulsive character the sons. almost in
variaby, form themselves on his model They con-
tinue to love and respect their mother and her re-
latlon to them, but they shuttle off her "woman's
piety"
Again, what weight can her words have with
her and daughters when in after life she tries
to dissuade them from taking to themselves spouses
tempt to defend their contemplated union with non
Catholics by saying: my father was not Cath
ohc, yet he and mother got on very WE'LL If such
was the case, it was rare exception amidst host
OF unhappy marriages. Besides, we would say to
such reasoning: Your present easiness of con-
science as to the religion of your future partner is
probably the result of your mothers first mistake
and of your own childhood spent in an atmosphere
Of religious Indifference. What will the next gen
Grafton be! How sad is all this compared with
the picture which healthy Catholic household nre
sentsl
And yet, what we have been describing is an OK
good phase of mixed marriages There
are many instances where the domestic life ;s ono
oeaseless domestic war. The husband, it NAV be
leaves the children to the stronger will or 70 the
greater earnestness of the mother. But how often
does the sheer of pity contempt for their Cath
olicity show itself on his lips How often. in tho
very presence of the little ones, has the poor moth
.r to listen to him. covering, with his blasnbemy