The Irish standard., 1914-03-21
Evils ofMixed Marriages
1t Usually Falls Heaviest on the Silly Foolish Catholic Cir
Who Has Run OFF With Non Catholic Man and
Gone Before Justice of the Peace

the image Of God, and they are given
their heirship as children of light in
Baptism, and it is for the Catholic
to guard that right and privilege that
the child has. Do you think that the
man who is not a Catholic can under.
stand his duty, and even If he does is
he ready at all times to make the sac.
rifice that is required of him in order
to bring up his children as Catholics?
It is the perversion of the Catholic
and it is endangering the faith of the
children.
Then there is another greater conse.
quence or greater evil growing from
such matters and that is the differ.
ence that is inculcated towards all re-
ligion. Today If we had the Catho-
lie people Of our land that are bap-
tiled assembled in the churches, we
would not have half enough churches.
They have been baptized, but they
have grown up in Indifference, and
the result is that they have become IT.
religious.
For fear that l would forget what
is uppermost in my mind and not have
time to tell it to you, am going to
say to you that there is scarcely a
week that we do not have two or three
applications for dispensation to the
Chancellor to have some marriage
fixed up; and usually this marriage
that is wanted to be fixed up is a
mixed marriage-the silly, foolish
Catholic girl has run off with a non.
Catholic man and gone before a JUS
tice of the peace. And when you cor
rect her and ask her why she did this:
Il didn't know it was against the
Church's law"
1t is hard to believe that in so en-
lightened day and where the priests
are SO constantly and so frequently
discussing the marriage obligations
and conditions, that there is SO much
ignorance; and doubt very much If
there are always telling the truth.
There are in the chancery this mo-
ment three applications coming from
Catholic parties that want to come
back to the Church: "Please have our
marriage fixed up. What degrade.
tion il a Catholic goes before a sec.
tartan minister or goes before a JUS.
tice of the peace and seeks to have
the ceremony Of marriage take place
when the law of the Church is plain
that it is wrong, and when it is pub
lished and when it is preached all
over the world that no one can per
form marriage for a Catholic party
except a priest. A marriage, no mat
ter where 1t takes place, that takes
place away from the Catholic priest
and there is a Catholic party, that
marriage is null and void, and 1t is the
same-if I should use the plain Ian
guage-is the same as concupiscence
That is what it is in the eyes of the
Church, and we have some of these
Indifferent and these very liberal
Catholics who think that is a very
severe judgment to pass upon the
children of the Church. The Church
has the keeping Of the consciences Of
her children in her hands. She has
all authority over those that belong
to the pale. She is not supreme with
those that are outside of the Church
She has nothing to do with the mar
riages that take place outside of hel
pale. but with her own children she
has everything to do from the day she
places water upon their brows until
she lays them in the grave. And it is
because of this she makes the law
that no marriage of Catholic party
or two Catholic parties that takes
place away from the priest is valid
marriage.
No one should forget and no one
should plead ignorance Of that. Some
come and say, "Why, we have to have
secret. We didn't want to have a
priest" They go down and get jus
tice of the peace who probably as
soon as the marriage is over runs out
into the brothel and the saloon and
publishes and announces the marriage
They have gone away to keep secret
and the whole world knows it. tell
you, not only is degradation brought
to the Church by the conduct of these
boys and girls in running away to
the justice of the peace, but there is
degradation brought to the family
there is degradation brought to the
home because of this. Certainly the
young boy and the young girl wishing
to enter matrimony ought not start
with the condemnation of the Church
upon their heads. 1t is such an impor.
tant matter that we ought to invite
the blessing of the Church; but with
out any thought they 60 and do this
degrading thing, this silly thing, never
thinking what the consequences are
The Catholic Register.
Dulunth, Minn.-St. Patrick's eve
was marked by Duluth Council No. g.
Modern Samaritans, with q rousing
Irish program. Senator James Boyle