The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-12-28
No Blessing For a Happy Welded
Life is impaired by the Priest
at the ceremony.
The Cathol.c Party to Contract Must
be Given opportunity to trac-
tice Religion.
The Children of Both Sexes Must be
Baptized and Brought up in the
Catholic raith.

The Church, says Father George
Bampheld, in a Catholic Truth publi-
cation, does not like her children to
marry those who are not Catholics.
She does not bless them. as she
blesses others, and will do all within
reason to prevent them.
The Catholic party to the contract
must be given the fullest and freest
use of the Catholic religion, and all
the children of both sexes shall be
baptized Catholic, and, in every way,
brought up and trained as Catholics,
and further the Catholic shall always
pray for the conversion of the nom
Catholic.
These are solemn conditions to q
mixed marriage which the Church al
ways insists upon, and. it Is certain.
says the priest, that the Church is
right when she keeps back her bles-
sing from a mixed marriage.
From the very first we are told, ac-
cording to the Scripture. that there
were the "sons Of Cod" the men Of
true faith, and the sons of men," who
needed not the truth. These two racial
streams rolled side by side. but mixed
not. at first. -~-,,..---- -..+ -.
Gradually. however, they began to
intermingle. and race of evil men be-
gan to people the earth, who taught
that there was no God.
In the earliest records of Bible his
tory, from the day of Abraham, those
who wanted truth held the mixed
marriage in horror. Abraham must
make his servant swear that he will
not take wife for his son from the
daughters of the Canaanites.
go to my country and kindred and
take wife from them for my son
Isaac"
And Rebecca is weary Of her life
because of the daughters of Heth:
'If Jacob take a wife of the stock of
this land, i choose not to live" Esau
also set the example of mixed mar
riages, and thereby offended the
mind OF Isaac and Rebecca."
When the children of Abraham be-
came a nation, the same stern law
prevailed. With the people Of the
land they overcame. there was to be
rr{ Oh
| thy daughters to his sons, nor take his
daughters for thy sons, for-(and here
says Father Bampfeld, is the reason
| which forbids mixed marriages for
ever)-"she will turn away thy son
from following Me, that he may rather
serve strange gods, and the wrath of
the Lord will be kindled and will
quickly destroy them."
Nay, says Father Bampfield, even
| within the chosen race of Israel their
| was to be still more chosen race
sort of Holy of Holes in the Holy
Nation, the children of Aaron, tc
whom marriage was forbidden with
any but those of their own priestly
kindred, lest mingling with others
might make them in anyway un-
priestly. From the breaking of these
rules-from mixed marriages with the
| children of another faith-came all the
troubles Of the Israelites right up te
the captivity. Even in the wander.
ings Of the forty years, Balaam knew
how to bring them under the wratt
Of God, and tempted them through
the daughters of Moab, who called
them to their sacrifices and they att
of them and adored their gods;" ant
so there fell in punishment four-and
twenty thousand men.
Earnest on the same point wa.
Joshua: IF you will make marriage.
with the nations about, and joil
friendship, know for certainty tha
the Lord God will not destroy then
from before your face; but they shall
! be pit and a snare in your way ant
a stumbling block at your side.'
II Samson, we know, married a Phillis
tine. who was untrue to Israel, ant
made him untrue to God. And Solo
mon had "his heart turned away b,
women to follow strange gods, and hi
heart was not perfect with the Lor,