The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-21
DEFENDS HIS CHURCH.


DEFENDS HIS CHURCH.
Father Murphy Resents Statements
of Attorney Schenck.
Incident to the trial the attack
upon the Catholic church by Attorney
Schenck was sure to evoke reply.
This comes today in letter from
Father J. A Murphy, rector of the
Holy Cross church at Emmett, Kan,
and formerly assistant to Father Hay
den. Mr.. Murphy has many friends
| in Topeka who hold him in high
esteem. He says in part:
Emmett, Kan, March 20, 1913.
To the Editor of the State Journal:
| Knowing your fairness, I trust that
you will give the enclosed letter space
in your paper Friday evening. 1 think
the attack of Attorney Schenck, made
! in the Beers case, was most unwar-
| ranted and one that is destined to
cause considerable strife and ill feel
| ing.
1 have endeavored to explain the
Catholic teaching regarding, the mat
ter and I ask you for fair hearing
! in this thing. You know religious
strife is a very bad business-nothing
/ is gained by it. For the life of me 1
cannot see how a lawyer, supposedly
| intelligent, will endeaVor to create it.
I wish to put an end to it in its in
cipiency and look for you to furnish
me the space in your paper.
In the sad Beers case, which at the
present time is commanding so much
attention, there has been an effort to
make it appear that the forces of Cath
olicity are endeavorings to secure the
conviction of the unfortunate man on
! trial for the death of his wife. This
effort is especially the work of the at
torney, who spoke today in behalf of
| his client.
| The Catholic church is in no way con-
| 10
of one of it's unfortunate children being
| the victim of her own folly cannot, by
any stretch of the Imagination, make
the church an interested party In his
attack on the Catholic church, brand
in, her doctrine as damnable" and one
of her priests as a perjurer of the worst
| type, Schenck, the lawyer, crowds his
principle on the sharp point of a needle
and then leaves wide plaza, about
the stately pile of aforesaid principle,
to parade his intelligence and Incl
dentally his legal lore So much would
Schenck do for legal fame and fee. He
would make war where war does not
exist and enkindle luminosity where
charity and peace should dwell-all
| that he might win a case.
! The Catholic church has no desire to
see Mr.. Beers branded with the title
murderer. Its doctrine is a doctrine of
love and mercy and that Mr.. Beers was
married to a Catholic, was his and her
| misfortune ana MS innocence or quit
rests with God and not with Schenck'S
! TRADE against the Catholic church.
The "damnable doctrine referred to
| il. the plea of Schenck is this: Mixed
maria ges, by which is understood the
marriage of Catholics to non-Catholics,
] have always been disapproved of by the
/ Catholic church. The reasons set forth
are these: % In such marriages the
proper training of the children is a
matter of great difficulty, if not alto
gether impossible. (2) Such unions are
productive of no concord no true happi-
ness. go There is a danger of losing
faith. 90 The non-Catholic may at any
time procure a divorce, leave the Cath
! Ole party and contract another mar
riage, while the Catholic is bound by
the marriage until death.
| OftentimeS young people, despite this
rule of the church, wish to contract
such a marriage. The Catholic church
/ then allows it's priests to officiate at
such marriages under the following
| conditions: Both parties must promise
I that the children born of the union Will
be brought up in the Catholic religion
The non-Catholic must promise to al
| low the Catholic to practice his or her
religion unhindered. 1t is the custom Of
| a Catholic priest to warn both parties
| of the evils, likely to result from such
| a union, and if possible to prevent the
! marriage But under no consideration
does it allow its priest to perform the
ceremony unless the above conditions
are carried out voluntarily by both
parties. 1 will send Schenck one of the
| blanks used in the Catholic church for
such purposes, If he so desires.
| It is evident that Mr.. and Mrs. Beers
were not married by Catholic priest.
If they were all the trouble would be
ayerted. 1t is also evident that they
/ signed no such papers as described
/ above. Hence the striking example of
\ what has been stated above concerning
mixed maria ges.
Two conditions now present them
| selves Either Mr.. and Mrs Beers were
| married by a minister. of one of the
nonCatholic denominations or they
were married by the probate judge. In
either case Mrs. Beers violated the
laws of the church, of which she was
a voluntary member. If she was
married by the law or by nonCath-
Ole minister after Easter, 1908, in the
eyes of her church she was not mar
RED When she saw her children born
and growing the mother instinct in her,
Catholic and, as Schenck said, grand,
good and noble, began to assert itself
Conscience that inner voice which is
our moral guide in the pursuit of good
and the avoidance of evil, cried out
Woman, grand, noble and good" that
she was, she sought refuge in that
haven where she had known re-
fuge before she made her mistake
ana L LnlIlk any IlliliiSlSA' nlCIhOuASe'
Baptist or Presbyterian, will agree that
she made a mistake-for herself and
for her husband
Naturally when she went to priests
they told her what she must endeavor
to do. They did not hound her and
keep the matter before her mind as
| Schenck tells us and would endeavor
to make the ignorant believe. They
advised and did not, as Schenck does,
advise for fee. Their aim was
loftier one.
Dear readers of the State Journal the