The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-09-01

advanced education to those VINO nave
finished the grades and high school
work. These branches, however, are
also taught in the College. Another
Catholic school that boards and edu
Gates young girls is the Visitation
Convent, st. Paul. st. Joseph's Acad
emv. st. Paul, is a day school for girls
Neither OF these schools pretends to
do college work.
MAY a Catholic Woman be brides
maid to q Protestant who is married
before a Protestant minister? Would
the same rule apply if the marriage
be before justice of the peace?
Catholics recognize Christian mar
rage to be sacrament and as such it
has been entrusted by Jesus Christ to
fhe exclusive jurisdiction of the Cath
Ollie Church. The Church specifies the
one who has the right to be the public
and official witness of the marriage
contract, namely, the Catholic priest.
Nor can any one who has been bap-
tiZed. whether he be Protestant or
Catholic, be married without receiv-
ing the sacrament of matrimony; for,
Christ raised marriage in the Chris
tian dispensation to sacrament.
Those, then, VINO have been baptized,
and thereby have entered under this
Christian dispensation, and marry
must receive the sacrament of matri-
mony, either worthily or unworthily.
The natural contract, as it existed be-
fore Christ, does not any longer exist
for those who have been admitted by
baptism into Christ's kingdom. That
natural contract has become through
the institution of Christ a visible
means through which divine grace is
conferred. Those. who receive the sac
rament worthily receive the grace;
others abuse the sacred sign through
which God intended that they should
receive divine favor.
Everyone then, Protestant or Cath
Ollie, who is baptized and marries re-
ceives the sacrament of matrimony.
Every Catholic knows that the Catho-
lie Church is the divinely appointed
guardian of the sacraments and that
the priest is the official representa-
tive of the Church in witnessing to
the sacrament of matrimony and in
bestowing upon the married couple
the blessing of Cod If another than
q priest takes this office, he is assum-
ing to himself that to which he has no
strict right; for, he has no jurisdic-
ton, nor has the society to which he
may belong any jurisdiction over the
sacraments. Any one who lends his
assistance, or his presence, especially
as public witness, which is the office
of the bridesmaid, is giving his ap-
prevail, at least so far as outward acts
speak. to the abuse of this sacrament.
IN doing so, he is, in our judgment,
guilty of sin.
Some, who have considered this
question, argue that marriage among
non-Catholics, whether they be Protes-
tants or infdels, is nothing more than
a civil contract; and that Catholic
assisting at such a marriage would not
be showing any disrespect to any
sacrament. We are grieved to have
to admit that matrimony among
PrCtestants is not so generally held
to be a sacrament as the truth de-
mands. But their false faith does not
change the fact that Christ made mar
rage a sacrament. Nor does the
erroneous conscience of the Protes
tant minister, or the ignorance of the
contracting parties, change the facts
in the case or make the Catholic
ignorant Of the truth.
On the other hand it is the part of g
practical Catholic not only to avoiC
sacrilege but by his example at least
to teach the faith. He has an oppor
tunity to do this when in kindly
spirit he explains his reasons for de
Ginning even so favored an invitation
as to be chief witness to happy
marriage.
Last, week an angels Mass" wa:
announced in our church. What doe!
that mean?
The Church has q Votive Mass il
honor of the angels. That Mass ma!
be said at the burial of a child wht
died before attaining the use o
reason, before having been admitted
to the sacraments. The explanation
is patent. Such child never los
the robe of baptismal innocence and
at death, is admitted Immediately int
the presence of the angels. If tn,
child has received the sacraments be
fore dying, then the usual Requiem
Mass is celebrated.
Was Thomas Beckett, Archbishop
of Canterbury, Catholic?
Thomas a Beckett, Archbishop o
Canterbury is canonized saint ant
martyr of the Roman Catholic Church
At the age of thirty-six, in 1854, h,
became chancellor of the king of Eng
land, Henry II, and under the kin,
he held the most influential position
in the whole kingdom. The king him
self was guided very largely in thu
administration of the kingdom b.
Thomas. Until he became a prizes
and Archbishop he entered thorough
ly into the plans of his sovereign
But having taken the cross he wa
just as loyal to his Church as he ha,
been to the king. Indeed, it was be