Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1912-05-11
METHODISTS.
Archbishop Ireland Ridicules Their
Attacks on Catholic
Marriages.
Poor Recompense for Presidents
Courteous Telegram to
Conference.
State Has Right to Say What
Marriages Have Legal
Rights.
CHARGES ARE WITHOUT TRUTH


It is because the love of a fight
is in the life blood of Methodists
that the general conference at Min
neapolis made its attack on the mar
riage laws of the Catholics, accord
ing to Archbishop ireland, who
made a reply to the announcement
of the "Ne Temere" edict of the
port read Friday.
The Bishops report declared that
the Pope's edict denouncing as
adulterous all marriages of lapsed
Catholics not solemnized by priest
'is an insult to many Protestant
homes, and shows contempt for all
governments that authorize mar
riage by other clergy" The report
termed the edict defiance to ma
tional laws" Archbishop Ireland in
his reply also ridicules the attack of
the Methodists upon the President
and members of his Cabinet for per-
hitting the Secretary of Agriculture
to make an address before the Inter
national Brewers Congress. He
says in part:
"a poor recompense it was, that
given to Mr.. Taft, for his courteoL
telegram to the conference on the
morning of it's opening session.
telegram altogether too courteous, l
think, so far as it gave praise to
the work of militant Methodism in
the Philippines. Mr.. Taft and his
Cabinet disposed of, the Catholic
church is summoned to the field. II
is an old-time warfare, that waged
against the Catholic church, and
without a recurrence of it a Meth
odist conference were falling from
the high estate of historic Meth
odism. No doubt before the con-
gress closes it's doors the Catholic
church will oft and oft be put on
the defensive This time the at
tack is on iS
that are purely a dofnSsl
its own, and in no wise ihfefr-sN ,
with the conscience of such peEws ~
as prefer to them the laws of States
or of non-Catholic churches.
"The Catholic church, the confer
ence declares, will not recognize as
valid in it's own eyes marriages of
Catholics contracted before State
Magistrates or ministers of nom
Catholic churches. But is it not al
together a Catholic issue, in which
others than Catholics need not in
terest themselves, in which others
should have nothing to say? Has
not the Catholic church at least as
much right to legislate for its men, |
bership as Methodism have to legis- |
late for Methodists? Nor is 1t to be
expected that the Catholic church |
will say that in its eyes 1apsed |
that having been married outside its |
ministry they have the right, denied |
to Catholics still anxious for COM
munion with 1t although disobeying |
for the moment its laws, to compel |
It to register on its tablets their
marriages as valid before its own
laws and constitution. A queer
legislation II were for the Catholic
church to declare marriages of
members of my communion con-
tracted outside my ministry are not
recognized by me as valid, unless
those members have cut
themselves off from me, becoming
for instance Methodists, in which
case, as a reward for their disloy-
atty, will recognize their marriage,
before whomsoever contracted, as
good and valid. At any rate who is
Injured? Not certainly the 'lapsed
Catholic who no longer ack-
the laws of the church of
his baptism and who. IL free from
remorse, holds those laws as null
and void of effect?
"The conference continues: In
this insult, and its accompanying
definance of our national laws reg
ulating marriage, the hierarchy is
claim TO supreme authority over
men and nations Ill-befitting this
charge against the Catholic church
coming from a Methodist conference
,hat has Just ruled out of the reach
of Christian suffrage in America the
President OF the United States and
Of his Cabinet for having
done something that neither laws
nor constitution forbid, which Gus
.om and unwritten laws prescribe.
But OF course In the eyes OF the con-
ference Methodism is privileged;
Methodism may claim supreme
over men and nations;
but not so any other Christian body,
east of all of course the Catholic
'hurch.
''But is II true that in its mar
'iage laws the Catholic church-out-
Iide its own specific spiritual {
Iphere, outside the special province
10 II as a church
laims supreme authority over men {
md nations?' It's marriage laws ne
Iard solely its internal life and rule.
10 the State II leaves the legal right
o say at its will TO what marriages
hall be accorded legal recognition
nd legal rights. The Catholic
hurch speaks exclusively to the con- (
ciences Of its own members-that I
nd nothing more. To Caesar the l
hings OF Caesar; 10 the church the
hings OF the church. II