The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-11

members of her fold. Hence,
fallen-away Catholics not less than
those who are loyal are bound by
this legislation. The issue, there
fore, is a purely Catholic one in
which others should have nothing
to say. The Catholic Church has
the right to legislate for her mem
bership and it is not to be expected
that she will declare that lapsed
Catholics are to be privileged or
that she will be compelled to re-
gard their marriage as valid when
they seek outside her fold minis
ters before whom they pledge
their vows.
Would it not be strange for the
Catholic Church to recognize as
valid the marriage Of her dis
obedient children contracted be-
fore an alien ministry? By the
present ruling no injury is done to
the fallen-away Catholic since the
Church is under no obligation to
declare any marriage which he
may contract outside her fold as
lawful and binding as one per-
formed by her priests. If the
lapsed Catholic wishes the approx
al of the Church for his marriage,
then he must obey her laws in
this respect.
The marriage laws of the Cath
Ollie Church appertain solely to
her internal life and rule. She
leaves to the state the right to say
what marriages shall be accorded
legal recognition. The Catholic
Church speaks exclusively to the
consciences of her own members
and by virtue Of her claim to be
the Church of Christ she cannot
in this matter adapt her legisla-
ton to the changing character Of
the laws Of the land, holding her
self subject in her intimate life to
these laws and changing as they
change. Ii there is one thing
which the Catholic Church has
stood for during her whole career
it is the indissolubility Of the mar
riage contract. Her attitude is
based on the teaching Of Christ
who declared, "What, therefore,
God hath joined together, let no
man put asunder."
The purpose Of the Ne Temere
Decree, therefore, is to make mar
riages more indissoluble than they
would otherwise be by preventing
hasty alliances entered into by
those who do not know their own
minds in such cases. Where it's
provisions are carried out there is
no possibility Of a runaway mar
riage or elopement or Of a mar
riage contracted without due de-
liberation by the parties thereto
and a full recognition Of the SOL
emn obligations imposed. In this
way the Ne Temere Decree dimin-
ishes the number Of divorces
which, in most cases, result from
marriages entered into at the die
tates of passion and without a
proper appreciation Of the life
long nature of the marriage bond.
The Ne Temere Decree is a sol
emn protest on the part of the
Catholic Church against the spirit
of irreverence in regard to the
marriage ceremony which is so
marked characteristic Of the
present day. It is not uncommon
to hear or read Of mock marriages
performed at fairs and carnivals
and in public places in the pres
ence of gaping crowds and for
the sake of display and novelty.
Such marriages are utterly null
and void in the eyes Of the Church
and all Catholics should bear this
in mind. Unfortunately, at times
Catholics allow themselves to be
cajoled or bribed into contracting
marriage under such circum-
stances before a civil magistrate
or Protestant minister. They must
realize that the ceremony in which
they participate is a mockery Of a
sacred function which the Church
would surround with all the sol
emnity due to it's sacramento
character. Under such circum-
stances let Catholics remember
that there is no valid marriage.
The Ne Temere Decree, there
fore, safeguards the sacredness of
Catholic marriages and is bull
wark against the lax views con-
corning the marriage contract that
obtain so largely among those who
are not Of the household of the
faith. 1t is a proof that the Cath