The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-12-16
DIVORCE
The following able Article this most Important subject
has been contributed at the request of the Editor
BY Rev. Father Petit, S. M.

lens that occupy the human mind, one
naturally feels very small and incom'
yrtent. So much has been said and
written on this subject that it would
seem to have been exhausted. How
ever. such is not the case. The ad
vocates of divorce, although they have
waged a most persistent and inceS-
SAINT campaign in favor of their teaCn-
iags. have not succeeded in persuad-
ing the whole world of the truth OF
their proposition. Even in our coun-
try, where divorce is on the increase
in an alarming proportion, every once
in while men of stern character,
sound Judgment and keen foresight
into the future are not afraid TO raise
be great evil. IL is cOnsOling and en-
couraging to notice the nobility OF
character and high ideals of the men
in favor of matrimonial indissOlubil-
ity. The oldest and most conserva.
tive religious Institutions, and the
noblest and most serious and unpreju-
diced representatives of our race,
seem to favor that God-given clause
in the marriage contract. When we
look over the pages of history in an
impartial manner we are often in-
clined to doubt the sincerity of many
of the advocates of divorce. There
seems to be 10 doubt that many al
lowed it, not so much to benefit man.
kind as to satisfy their own selfish
aims. Many of the most intense sup
notice of divine law; either they pre-
tend not to know it or arrogate to
themselves the right to change Gods
laws to suit themselves. For Chris
tians, believing in the inspired word
of God, the text is so clear that one
is somewhat puzzled to understand
such freedom in its Interpretation,
especially with regards to marriage,
especially when we see it respected
for 10 centuries.
How individuals and institutions
can thus trifie with laws that are fun
damental and from above is not clear
to the minds of many. The world
lived happily for centuries without di-
vorce and its introduction into the
world has not increased the happiness
of mankind enough to counterbalance
its evil effects.
Modern, progressive ideas have also
set aside natural law, for according
to most sound and conservative think
ers and writer's, natural law places
the unity and indissolubility of mar
riage among the prime principles of
life. But we would find ourselves in
a maze of arguments and theories if
we remained too long on this line of
closer at hand than the above, mill
tating against the free and indiscrim-
mate breaking of the marriage bond
The great reason that is ever brought
forward in favor of divorce is that
of the injustice done to one or both
parties concerned when living togeth-
er becomes incompatible, whether
through culpable, natural or unavoid
able causes. Like the demagogue agi
tator against wealth and the present
social order, who can always find an
attentive audience amongst certain
class of disgruntled men and unprin-
cipled populaces, so also do the advo-
Gates OF divorce make the most of in.
dividual cases of matrimonial trou-
bles and parade them before an I'M
thinking and unsuspecting public, and
make it believe that no one is bound to
respect the sacred ties of matrimony
whenever they become burdensome
1t is unjust, they say, to force anyone
to live together under such circum-
stances. They have made use of the
most dangerous weapons to promul
gate their doctrines, and they have
.wamped the world with their argu
bents. They have left nothing un
done to prove the truth of their con.
tention, but solid thinking men every
once in while show how wrong these
ideas are, but unfortunately they are
not strong enough to stem the tide,
which is daily increasing. Anybody
can see what evils divorce brought
upon proud and powerful Rome; but
just as some prudent and conservative
men in those days saw the evils of
divorce, foresaw clearly it's dire con-
sequences and warned their country.
men in vain, so it is in our own day
and in our own country. How can the
voice of few affect that ever-increas-
ing wave? The idea of divorce has
made such progress amongst the peo-
pie for many reasons, but there are two
that have been great factors in popu-
larizing it, that have been two of the
most potent agents in forming public
opinion, namely, the press and the
Stage. Whether these agents are
oltiltv or not ;s rot - ~