The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-09-30

'NQueGtiOn and Answer" care The Gait
Which is the better course for a
mother to follow; to remain away
from Mass on Sunday, or to distract
others at Mass by the cries of her
infant? If she must stay at home,
is she obliged to pay pew rent?
The sacrifices that mothers with
infants make in order to assist at
Mass is really edifying. Very often
when it is impossible to keep the
child longer in the church the mother
will assist at Mass from the vestibule
or near the door of the church and
she can be assured that the fruit of
the Mass will reach her as plentifully
as if she were nearer the altar.
Others in the church, however, should
try to be patient, if little child be-
comes restless during Mass. Very
often the greater disturbance is
caused by grown persons who have
not the care of the child paying too
much attention to the child.
The obligation to pay pew rent will
net be affected by ones necessary
absence from Mass. We do not pay
pew rent on the same basis that we
rent a seat at a theatre, for every
time that we use it, The system of
paying pew rent is adopted only as a
means of contributing to the support
of the church. This obligation holds
.llV1NS ubnthnr urn ohio tn lCCicI
at Mass or forced to remain at home
Those, indeed, who are prevented, by
one reason or another, from coming
TO Mass, are frequently the ones who
demand most of the priests atten-
ton. He very willingly gives this
attention; and in return, he is en-
titled at least to a living
Can we class as respectable a d.
Vorced man who marres again while
his first wife is living?
"A man who puts away his wife
and marries another commits adul-
terry; and he who marries her who
is put away commits adultery And if
the wife shall put away her husband,
and be married to another, she COM
mits adultery" (Mat. XIX, 6; Mark X,
HIP. Such a state then, evidently
cannot be respectable according to
the standard of the Christian religion.
1t the state prGtendS to supersede this
law of God and to give divorce its
sanction and to the adulterous the
protection of law, it is merely assum-
ing higher authority than that held
by Almighty God.
Where can obtain the following
books: Dominican Mission Prayer
Book and The Sinners Guide?
The +. NJ. Lohmann Co., 3SJ st.
Peter Street, st. Paul.
Is a married man obliged to pro-
vide for his mother as we'll as to fur
nish home for his wife?
y man does not cease to be son
because he marries a wife. If his
mother is dependent upon him, he
must furnish her with a home and the
necessaries of life. Indeed, if it be-
came question of supporting one or
the other, the man not being able to
provide for both the care of his
mother would have precedence, for
this debt rests on the natural law,
while marriage is entirely voluntary
ut the same time. the mother may not
he unreasonable in demanding of her
son more than what she already was
accustomed to before his marriage;
nor would she be free to oblige her
son to leave his wife, in order to work
the farm at home, nor to interfere
with letters that might be sent be-
tween wife and husband.
Was there a general dispensation
. from the law of abstinence on Friday,
the 18th of March, of this year? Who
grants such dispensations? May a
priest grant it to the members of his
parish?
1t is long time since st. Patricks
Day. but we will answer this question
once more. The Pope grants a gem
cral dtspensation from the law of alb
Stinencc on Friday, when holy-day
OF obligation falls on Friday. The
purpose of making this exception is
the same as that which applies to the
festival of Christmas. holy-day of
obligation is a day of spiritual JOY
and gladness, bringing to mind some
truth of faith in which the Church
bids us rejoice. Abstinence on Fri
day is penance, by which we show
our sympathy and love for our Lord,
Who died for us on that day This
act of modification is not in harmony
with a festival day, and so, the Pope
dispenses us from the general obliga-
ton of abstinence, that we may the
better understand the mystery that
is celebrated. A similar ruling APP
plies to a parish when the Patron
Saints festival is concentrated in
a public manner, bringing together at
Mass the general body of the parish.
In such case if the saints day falls
on Friday, the law of abstinence is
dispensed with on that day for the
people of that parish. In one case
and the other, the law is made for
the whole Church by the supreme an
thority in the Church and the dispen-
sation must be granted by the same
authority, either directly as in the
cases mentioned above; or, indirectly,
when he delegates his authority to
others. The right to dispense from
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