The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-11-25
Continued from page -
THE MARRIAGE OF CHRISTIANS
WITH INFIDELs.


WITH INFIDELs.
Hence to justify the dispensation very
serious reasons are required.
Marriages Of Baptized Non-cathoIics.
on-Catholics deserve the name of
Christian only because in going out
from the Church they brought out
out Baptism they brought out the law
concerning the marriages of Chris
tians with the unbaptized annexed to
it. This law was universally held
throughout Christendom when Luther
and Henry VIII inaugura1ed their re-
volt. Their revolt did not exempt
them or their followers from the OBJ
legation of keeping the law nor from
the penalty for transgressing it.
There is only one Christendom, and
every child by it's Baptism being ag-
gregated to it is, unless exempt, amen
not extend new laws to those nominal
ly outside the fold in order not to
multiply sins, and she does not dis
pense the same from the laws in
vogue previously to their revolt lest
exemption from the burden of the
law would put a premium on revolt
itself. The marriage of a baptized
nom Catholic with an infidel is there
fore just as invalid as the marriage
of a Catholic with an infidel. Such
marriages among non-Catholics have
been the primary cause of the rapid
degeneration of such Christian faith
as they once possessed.
Legitimacy.
Children born of legal wedlock,
when one or both parties are in good
faith, are legitimate. Even though
the Church declares such a marriage
on account of an impeachment to be
null and void, this declaration does
not involve the illegitimacy of the
children. We're they to become Cath
olics they would not be debarred on
account of their birth from taking
orders nor from entering religion. If
both parties furthermore are in bad
faith but the impeachment of their
marriage is secret, since legitimacy is
something belonging to the external
forum, the children of such union
are legitimate Catholics therefore do
not call illegitimate all those chill
dren who are born of parties legally
married but between whom the Church
finds diriment impeachment Fur
thermore the marriage of either party
to a third with the sanction of the
Church does not affect the legitimate
status of the children of the previous
marriage.
Obligations.
Anyone contracting an invalid mar
riage is not free from all obligations
to his or her partner in formal or
material guilt. There is no marriage
bond between them, but there is the
obligation to do justice to the party
injured. A second marriage is not
licit until full justice be done. There
is no better way to do Justice as a
rule, provided that the faith is safe
guarded, than to procure a dispense
tion and have the marriage ceremony
repeated. This method, as is evident
can be only recommended it can not
be imposed. If the parties mutually
agree to separate there is nothing
further to be done here below. If they
entered into a marriage with the
knowledge that it was invalid they
will have to answer at the judgment
seat above for the manner in which
they have trampleu upon the sacred
ness of welded life; if they had nc
such knowledge and no injustice is
done they are free from all blame
In either case they can not be held
to a bond which does not exist.
Remarks.
Since Protestant ministers say that
the conditions wisely imposed by the
Church are not binding, they have lit
tie cause to complain when the
Church says that certain marriages
performed by them in defiance of the
law of Christendom are not binding
either. A general policy of neglect
ing to safeguard the faith by the
strongest methods would land the
Catholic Church in precisely the same
melting-pot in which Protestants see
Sacramento, Tradition, Bible, and
everything Christian vanish
| Owing to the law of clandestinity
according to which a Catholic to be
validity married must have the Parish
Priest and two witnesses assist at the
marriage, what is said above applies
also to civil marriages of Catholics
with baptized 'non-Catholics. The Law
of clandestinity, however, being of re
cent origin by express will of the
Church does not apply to the mar
riages of Professionals among them