Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-03-07
MGR. WHELAN
URGES SANCT|TY
OF MARRIAGE TIE
Assails False Theories Advanced
and Declares Lord Makes
Bond Perpetual.

Last night at st. Patricks, Monsignor
Whelan, preaching on "Matrimony,"
said In part:
"All Christian civilization rests upon
the Christian family, and there can be
no Christian family without Christian
marriage.
False theories of marriage are pro-
claimed from all sides, from lecture
hall, from the stage, from club rooms
and conventicle, and are circulated
through the press.
If we look around we see family ties
1oosened, family honor stained, domes-
tic quarrels and Ediscords, the sacred
obligations of wife and mother cast
aside In so many cases as too irksome
to be borne, crimes that should not be
even mentioned, but which strike at the
very foundation of Christian marriage.
and therefore it becomes our duty to
warn you against the false. maxims of
the age and state the true nature, dig
nifty and responsibilities of marriage.
God Himself Laid the foundation of
the human family when He instituted
marriages for the propagation of pres
erva tion of the human race. 1t differs
from all other contracts made by men
which derive their binding force from
the will of the contracting parties. But
on marriage it is not SO; for marriage
is of divine institution, and can exist
only on conditions fixed by God Him
self. Christian marriage in it's essence
can be governed only by the laws OF
the divine legislator of the Christian
Church. Society did not institute mar
riage, for marriage was established be-
fore all society. Marriage is Gods own
4 making, and He gave it two essential
qualities unity and indissolubllity.
Marriage must be one and perpetual,
it can exist only between one man and
one woman, and the marriage bond can
Sbe broken by death alone. The original
form of marriage became corrupted and
dbscured by the Jewish race, and our
Lord cleansed the noble character OF
matrimony from the ignominies that
had defled it and ennobled it with the
dignityAof sacrament. He began HIS
public ministry by carrying His bless
ing to bridegroom and bride at the
wedding at Cana.
He commanded that no one should
dare dissolve a union of which God
Himself was the author and which He
sanctioned as perpetual. By His suffer-
ings and death He merited the graces
which enable husband and wife to be-
come living images of Christ's union
with His church and to grow In peace
and holiness in the hallowed state.
"All that relates to the discipline OF
marriage belongs to the church, and
everywhere and always she has exer-
cised this divinely conferred authority
as a native right. From the days OF
the apostles she has lent the splendor
of her ceremonial to marriage, thus
inspiring her children with reverence
for the union. She alone has the right
to define the rights and duties of mat
rimony She alone has the right to
grant separation for urgent necessity.
She never grants divorce from the
bond and has resisted every attempt
to coerce or cajole her to do so.
Marriage. therefore, being sacra-
ment, should be prepared for as for
holy state. Purity of life and affec-
ton are the only proper dispositions for
entering upon state which death
alone can change and which involves
so many important consequences for
time and eternity. The time of court