The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-06-17
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marriages were seemingly necessary,
and, consequently, less dangerous and
less blameable. God tempered His
grace to the occasion; and, by a spe-
cial providence over those who were
victims of circumstances, rather than
of passion, prevented the evils to
which mixed marriage naturally lead.
Many who contracted such. marriages
did not know in what light the Church
regarded them, no realize until too
late the fatal consequences they en-
tail. And, then, in too many cases,
they have asked, in surprise and hor
ror: why were we not told these
things? Why were we not warned?"
The Church, therefore, is obliged to
pass over those exceptional cases
which are so often alleged as an ex-
cuse. for mixed marriages. fact
that this or that couple are living in
peace and harmony with no detriment
to the religious position of the Cath
Ollie party. She speaks only with the
knowledge of the immense harm that
comes in the great majority of cases,
| duu WulSu ID 41hOAy " hoppNu Ala ally
| future case.
| Someone has figured out the mil
lions of children of Irish parents who
have been lost to the Faith during the
two last generations. How did it
come to pass? An American Bishop
stated in a public sermon that out of
| $50 cases of mixed marriages which
h oIo
had proved fatal to the Faith. A
priest in Australia argues that facts
shown to him personally prove that
80 per cent of the offspring of mixed
marriages fall away. A canvass was
made some time ago by a non-Catholic
organization in one of our large cities
| -Chicago-which shows that in fam
lilies in which both parents are Cath
olics only s per cent of the young men
neglect their church, while in families
in which only one of the parents is
Catholic, Sc per cent of the young men
fall away.
These figures are appalling in them
selves, and are sufficient without any
other facts as reasons why the Church
must not only frown upon the mixed
marriage, but must absolutely prohibit
| it. The evils that are not generally
known to the world, and which result,
in nine cases out of ten of mixed mar
riages, give added incentive to- such
prohibition These evils, even when
the Catholic party is able to attend
the Sunday Mass, put an almost i'm
passable barrier to any further intim-
acy with the Church. The GOODNESS
and Indifference to Catholic devotion
which often communicates itself to
some Catholic families who are in
fuenced by a crawling regard for any
thing Protestant, is frequent evil
result of such marriages. We need
not speak of the deeper Catholic feel
ing which are too often outraged-the
absolute prohibition of the Church, the
warnings of the councils, the appeals
of the Sovereign Pontiffs, the sadness
and gloom in which the Catholic priest
must assist at such marriages, the
Withholding of all blessings, and com
munication of non-Catholic in the
divine things of a Catholic sacrament
unabsolved and often beyond any hui
man possibility of absolution. All
these things are bound up intimately
in such unions.
1t is true that some escape the al.
most inevitable apostacy or indiffer
ence that follow, but their number is
swallowed up in the vast majority who
go down to ruin, and whose place in
the temple of God shall know them NO
more. In every Catholic parish they
are found, such abandoned families
scattered like human derelicts, useless
to themselves and constant menace
to others. These are some of the rea,
sons for the Churchs position; the
deepest and most cogent reasons can
not be told here because of their mum
Der, their nature, and the need of the
space to narrate them. But to think.
ing Catholics, who have not lost al
regard for their faith, these reasons
ought to prove sufficient.