The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-10-12


What is the correct time for the choir
to begin the "Requiem"-when the
priest appears in the sanctuary or
when he begins Mass at the foot of
the altar? 4. What should Catholic
answer to the question "Do you be-
Iieve in ghosts?"
l. 1t is permissible to have candles
lighted on side altar during High
Mass. 2. The rubrics to be observed
by the faithful during Mass do not re-
quire that they kneel at the Crate
Fratres. They sit from the time the
priest says the Offertory until the
Sanctus, if it be a. Low Mass, and if
it be a High Mass, until the celebrant
intones the Preface, when they stand.
8. The correct time for the choir to
begin the Requiem is when the priest
is ready to begin Mass. 4. If this
question refers to what is popularity
meant by GHOSTS" which are usually
nothing more than the products of an
overweight imagination, the Catholic
is free to declare that he does not
believe in them. The popular idea of
ghosts is that they are the spirits of
the dead who make their presence
known to the living in some way,
either by appearing to them in a visi-
BILE form or by means of certain mani
festations which are attributed to
them It is different, however, when
there is question of the world of
spirits. The Church teaches that
there are spiritual beings-God, the
human soul, angels and devils. These
we must believe in. Angels and devils
have power to influence man through
his senses, but only in so far as God
permits them and man yields to them.
They possess a knowledge and power
greater than man enjoys and can,
therefore, influence him in various
ways. The spirits of the dead also
can affect man. In the history of the
Church many apparitions of the
saints after death are recorded. Ac-
cording to the accepted teaching of
the Church no soul can leave heaven,
hell or purgatory, even for time,
unless God permits it for some good
purpose as, for instance, that the
saints may help man, that the sight of
lost souls may warn them, and that
the souls in purgatory may obtain
prayers for their release from suffer
ing.
AS | understand the new marriage
law of the Church two Catholics may
live together as man and wife, if liv-
ing in a place where it is impossible
to be married as Catholics should, but
at the first opportunity, must be mar
ried by a Catholic priest. If such
conditions exist in a Protestant COM
munity where scandal would un-
doubtedIy be given would not a mar
rage by a justice be preferable to
this?
law upon which this question is based
reads as follows: Should it happen
that in any district the parish priest,
or the Ordinary of the place, or a
priest delegated by either of them, by
whom marriage can be celebrated, is
not to be had, and this condition of
affairs has lasted for a month, mar
riage may be validity and licitly en-
tered upon, by the formal declaration
of consent made by the contracting
parties in the presence of two wit
nesseS."
The following explanation of this
provision is given by the Rev. J. T.
McNicholas, o. P, in his commentary
on the Decree, me Temere:" IF in
any of our missionary districts parties
cannot during one month or more Sc
cure the Ordinary or missionary
assigned to their territory or priest
delegated by either of these, they
can in the presence of two witnesses
(no priest being PRESENT. enter into
the marriage contract and validity and
licitly receive the Sacrament of
Matrimony. According to the eminent
canonist Cardinal Gennari month
means thirty days. Parties so
situated are not obliged to wait one
day over the month; but during the
month they should make every rea-
sonab1e effort tC find duly authorized
priest. They would not however be
obliged to put themselves to an in
convenience which would constitute
for them a grave incommodum. J"
Such marriage would not be recog-
nized by the State except in those
States where the common-law mar
riage holds; hence to have their union
regarded as legal, the parties can give
the formal declaration of their con-
sent to marriage before a notary pub.
lie. If parties so situated do not ex-
press their consent, either at the time
OF their marriage, or subsequently
before any duly authorized civil magis-
trate, they should on the first oppor-
tunity of meeting any priest recogn.
lied by the State as an official, go
through ceremony that would legal
ize their marriage and thus prevent
a great many possible difficulties that
could arise in our courts 1t might be