The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-11-25
Dispensations.

| The Church in particular cases is
| frequently implored to dispense from
this disciplinary law. AS the Church
made the law, there can be no ques-
tion but that she has the power to
| dispense from it. When matters get
| beyond the control of the Church, of
parents, and of the parties themselves
| involved it is we'll that the Church
has the power to dispense from it
validly. But to dispense from it licit-
| ly the Church has always considered
that safeguards for the faith of the
Catholic party and of the prospective
offspring should regularly be estab-
lished in the form of certain we'll
known promises. The law has this
great advantage that it gives the
Church the opportunity to exact these
promises. 1t is argued that Il dis
pensation obtained from Bishop,
when these promises are neither eX-
plicity given nor tacitly understood
is invalid The Church therefore
does not make this law in order to
dispense from it. She labors as best
she can to have the law observed and,
when compelled to dispense from il,
endeavors still to obtain the end OF
the law viz: the safeguarding of the
Christian faith. Nevertheless, even
with the promises statistics show
that the results of these marriages
are frequently deplorable. Some
superiors are so moved by these statis-
tics that they grant dispensation,
when they grant it at all, only with
extreme reluctance; some insist tnat
the non-Catholic party shall at least
devote certain time to the study oil
the Catholic Faith; others again are
less rigid as they look upon statistics
Of this kind perhaps as incapable of a
true analysis. In times of malignant
calumny like the present the many
on-Catholics who are edited by the
piety Of their Catholic wives and chill
dren oppose an effective barrier to the
food of misrepresentation The Cath
olic wife often fills the place of Esther
of old This is an item OF great mo-
ment not considered by the aforesaid
statistics. Another is that in many
cases the Catholic party is not at all
exemplary. and nothing much either
with or without the dispeIsation could
be expected from the marriage. Per
haps there should be credited to the
dispensation the little that is gained
rather than the much which is lost
and which would be lost without it.
The adverse statistics however are
there and the question OF dispensing
ut oil iS,n Mi n in i1a l4u
In contrast to the ideal Catholic mar
riage and in view Of the danger to
faith such marriages have been and
always will be considered undesirable
They are undesirable also on account
of the aversion which SO many non
Catholics now have to assuming tho
burdens of wedlock. A perverse sense
such as marked the most decadent
epochs of both ancient and modern
civilizations seems to be widespread
in the non-Catholic world. On account
of il marriage becomes like the bar
ren tig-tree worthy only of nlaledic-
tion, whereas marriage should be like
the planting of a new church and for
it's fruitfulness deserving of Heaven.
Moreover marriage of Christians
being a Sacrament gives an increase
of grace to those who are in the state
of grace. On account of this grace
Christian parents ever help one an
other TO save one another's souls and
they are Jealous for the salvation Of
the souls OF their children. In the
marriages contemplated above the
| Christian party alone is moved by
this zeal and, when worldly ambitions
| unfayorabIe to faith concerning the
children arise, is oftentimes unequal
to the task of holding in control the
non Catholic party. In this way the
work of years by final disposition of
| the children may be ruined. Conse-
quent1y Catholic contemplating a
marriage with non-CatholiC is TAX.
ing, even with dispensation, a very
serious and very responsible step.
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