The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-06-23
HUSBAND AND WIFE.

The heart is not only the symbol
of love, but also Of fidelity. From
the region of the heart woman first
originated; for Eve was made from a
rib of Adam. Hence a wife should
be true to her husband unto death.
Conjugal fidelity makes for happiness
and blessing in marriage.
At the altar, the bride has pledged
lifelong fidelity. At that time, they
put blessed ring on her finger, in
dicating that as the circular band of
gold had no end, so also conjugal
fidelity was to have no restrictions.
The Roman catechism states that
by virtue of conjugal fidelity the hus-
band binds himself to the wife and
the wife to the husband, SO that they
have control over each others bodies,
and that they further promise never
to violate this matrimonial pledge.
God Himself has enjoined the OBJ
servance of conjugal fidelity. The
latter is even a postulate of natural
morality, for also the pagans punished
breaches of matrimonial faith. The
Jews, the chosen people Of God, were
wont to drive an adulteress from the
city and to stone her to death.
However, not merely extreme
breaches of conjugal fidelity are for
hidden, but also all conduct having a
tendency to lead thereto. Most
women are prone to dismiss miscon-
duct of the graver kind as outside
the range of probabilities. Neverthe-
less the moral pitfalls which threaten
the young wife are many.
A wife should, therefore, meet
other men with a certain degree of
reserve. 1t is playing with fire to
confide to male acquaintances the dis
appointments of your own married
life in order to receive sympathy.
Marriage is sacred
The Christian law recognizes no
double standard of morals; hence
what has been said of wives concern
ing conjugal fidelity also applies to
husbands.
In one of, his sermons, ST. Angus
tine says to the women Of Rome:
"A Christian woman should not be
like those matrons who wish to re-
ceive creditsin the eyes of the world
because they bear the alterations of
their husbands with Indifference; but
she should rather, clinging to her hus-
band with all the ardor. Of her soul,
sacrifice her possessions, her jewels,
her pleasures, than witness with in
difference the spectacle of one, whom
she has chosen for her husband,
wantonlY stalking the welfare of his
soul"
Accordingly, wife should have a
keen eye for everything that tends to
promote or retard her husbands well
fare, fQsterihg1the one tendency and
counteracting the other She should
seek no honors other than those
which can be obtained at the side of
her husband. 1t is, finally, the wife's
duty to fortify the man in all Chris
tian virtues.
On the other hand, the wife should
beware of the green-eyed monster of
jealousy. Nothing is more miser-
able and pitiable than person
haunted by jealousy" writes St John
Chrysostom, for the one so afflicted
is not subsequently like one obsessed,
who with the lashes of his sharp
tongue rapidly destroys many a beau
tiful and charming marriage idyl.'
A wife who is possessed by the
devil of jealousy is a pitiful object.
Even if she has well-grounded rea-
sons for jealousy, anger, exhibitions
of violent temper, and like conduct,
will not mend matters. A prudent
wife will resort to prayer and to
suitable natural means to win back
her husbands exclusive affections. By
no means should she, however, rea-
son that her husbands misconduct
gives her a right to take her own
matrimonial obligations lightly.