The Irish standard., 1916-11-18


lie Church Teaching Is Correct
An eloquent apologize for the posi-
ton of the Catholic Church in refer.
ence to divorce was preached by Rev.
C. F. J. Wrigley last Sunday at Grace
Church, on the Heights, says Brook.
Ign Tablet. DR.. Wrigley spoke as
strongly in favor of the stand that the
Catholic Church now holds, and has
always held, as any Catholic priest or
laymen has ever seen fit to do.
Another point that he emphasized
was the homogeneous fact that the lay
men delegates to the recent conven-
ton at St. Louis were able to defeat
the resolution calling for prohibition
of the remarriage of divorced per.
sons, the flock leading the shepherd!
DR.. Wrigley was one of the ministers
most active in seeking to have the
convention go on record as against
the remarriage of Divorces.
"The purpose of the new canon,
said he, which was passed by a
large majority of the clergy and failed
only because few votes necessary to
majority among the laity were lack
ing, means that the Episcopal Church
is to take her stand upon. the state
ment made in the prayer book that
the man or woman whose marriage is
blessed by the Church are married
until death parts them.
The chief objection was a conten
ton that Christ allowed divorce fol
one cause, yet He had never even
suggested the remarriage of divorced
persons. The plea that the statutory
offense breaks the marriage bond car
not be made, under Christian teach
ing, because Christ has said that nc
act of man could break the bond.
More than that we find passage
in the New Testament in which Jesus
forgives woman that great sin, and
if Jesus forgives, then must a Chris
tian forgive. Indeed, in the Shepherd
of Hemas, book written about IL;
A. D., it is distinctly stated that if 6
mans wife sins, she is to be given 6
chance to repent, and if she repents
he must take her back, and, more
over, il the husband, who is the limo
cent party in the case, marries again
he not only commits adultery, but he
commits great sin against his wife
because he shuts her out from the
possibility of repentance.
If this were not enough we have
the great law of forgiveness which
Jesus gave to His apostles. The,
were to forgive not only seven times
but seventy times seven-that is, al
unlimited number of times-and tina
rule applies to the case of the mar
and his wife. as we'll as to other kind.
OF sin. This destroys the idea tina
the innocent party may marry again
because in that case the guilty part,
is cut off from repentance.
AAC oIdHu vi llDcFdllSIS has re
suited in an orgy of divorce such al
the world has never seen, save in tn,
debauched days that preceded tn,
fall of the Roman empire. Objection
to the law on the indissolubility O
valid marriages on the ground o
cruelty has its companion in any Law
to the infraction of which a penalty il
attached.
1.-THE canon which it is proposed t,
pass. does not forbid people separat
ing If they cannot live together. 1
does not propose to continue a hel
on earth. But it does declare that i
is not seemly for minister of thu
Church to give the Church's blessin,
to the remarriage of people who have
once promised before God that the,
would take each other for better OF
worse until death parted them.'