The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-12-14

l.. Which is the proper Mass for
a priest lis obliged to preach at the
late Mass are not people obliged to
attend 1t? 8. Is 1t proper for people
to leave Mass before the end of the
last Gospel? 4. Are Catholics who
marry before any one but priest
validity married?
l. The proper Mass for Catholics
to attend on Sunday is the High Mass
which, according to a recent ruling in
this Diocese, must be the last
Mass said in any church on Sunday.
Of course, Catholics can fulfill the
obligation of hearing Mass on Sunday
by attending any Mass; but it is the
spirit of the Church that they attend
the High Mass at which a sermon or
instruction on some point of Catholic
doctrine is given. 2. Since it is part
of a priests official duties to preach
to his people, it follows that they are
under obligation to take advantage of
such an opportunity to learn what the
Church teaches and to be informed of
their duties. Catholics need this in
struction and while, in the majority
of churches, brief homily on the
EpistIe or Gospel of the day or a
short instruction on some point of
Catholic dogma or morals is given at
the low Mass, still it must not be for
gotten that the sermon of the day is
preached at the High Mass, and Cath
olics who wish to be instructed in
their religion are expected to be pres
emit and listen to the Word of God.
Those who make it point to absent
themselves from High Mass can, it
is true, satisfy the obligation imposed
upon them by the law of the Church
by hearing low Mass, but they are
not living up to the spirit of the
Church which requires them to be pres
ent, whenever they can conveniently
do so, at the late Mass in order that,
in addition to worshipping Almighty
God, they may listen to the truths
which the Church alone is commits
canoe and purity. 3. Catholics who
are we'll instructed in their duties
know that it is very unbecoming, to
say the least, to leave the church
before the last Gospel has been said
and the priest has retired from the
sanctuary. Of course, in case of
necessity, one may do so; but to
offend in this way habitually shows
a very great disregard for the Holy
Sacrifice itself. Those who rush out
of church at the end of the last Cos
pei and before the priest has left the
altar show deplorable lack of that
sense of propriety which every Cath
Ollie should cherish. Moreover, Ell
quette demands that no one should
leave the church unless compelled by
necessity, until the celebrant of the
Mass has retired from the sanctuary.
f. The present law of the Church in
regard to marriage went into effect on
April 10, 1908. According to it's pro-
visions Catholics cannot be validity
married unless the ceremony be per-
formed in presence of duly author
lied priest and two witnesses, Under
any other circumstances the marriage
is null and void. This law applies
not only to marriages in which both
the contracting parties are Catholics
but also to what are called mixed
marriages, that is, marriages in which
one of the parties is Catholic and
the other a non-Catholic. If such a
marriage is contracted before any one
but a priest and two witnesses, it is
null and void. Nor is it ever per
MISSILE for the Catholic party to a
mixed marriage to allow minister OF
any sect to perform a subsequent
ceremony after the Catholic priest has
assisted at the marriage. If the priest
knows that such a marriage is con-
templated he will refuse to marry the
laws to bind her children and any
attempt they make to circumvent
these laws must end disastrously for
them. She has a right to legislate
for her members and they should not
forget that their obligation is to obey
the laws which she lays down for their
guidance in such an important matter
as the marriage contract which, when
validity entered into, can be dissolved
only with the death of one of the
parties thereto. The only lawful mar.
riage for Catholics to contemplate is
that in which the ceremony is per.
formed in the presence of a priest and
two witnesses whether both parties to
the contract are Catholic or not
1. Is il sin to dance in Advent
2. Are Catholics allowed to join the
Modern Brotherhood of America?
1. We have written so much about
dancing during the past year that we
are loath to repeat what has already
been said on this point. The Church
has not made any special rules in
regard to dancing during Advent OF