The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1918-05-11

o be civilized and even Christian,
which will allow and recognize no
marriages save such as are performed
" the Roman Catholic church as es-
ablished by the Council Of Trent
,ut such is the case and that in
Peru"
In 1859 bishops and archbishopsI
If Latin America held a great
council in Rome. Sec. 5S8 of "Acta
et Decreta" Of that council, and Of
course with reference to South
American countries and Mexico,
reads as follows: -..
"Among the faithful matrimony
can not be granted, except at one
and the same time it be a sacrament;
and therefore, whatever other union
there may be among Christians, of a
man and woman, apart from sacra-
ment, EVEN IF MADE BY THE
FORCE OF THE CIVIL LAW, is
else than a shameful and
pestilent concubinage. There
fore let the faithful be taught in our
regions, in all Of which without ex-
eeption, the degree 'Tametsi' of the
Council of Trent is unquestionably
and received, that no
marriage is contracted without the
presence of the proper priest, and
that the offspring begotten from a
civil union is illegitimate before God
and the church"
About the same time that the
above church decree was issued, as
referring to the matter in Ecuador,
there was printed in the Chicago
Record, Aug. s, 1899, a letter from
Hon. W. E. Curtis, former U. s.
Commissioner to the South Ameri'
can republics, in which, after OBJ
serving that "it is expected at the
next meeting of congress in Ecuador
a law will be passed granting free
dom of worship to all religious de-
nominations" he said:
"The marriage law, however, has
not been amended, No Protestant
clergyman is allowed to perform the
ceremony and under the existing
statutes no marriage is lawful unless
sanctioned by a Roman Catholic
priest. Children born after Protes'
tant marriages are considered illegiti
mate and can not inherit property.
American Catholics Position
Some comment by Roman Catho
lie papers in our own country amen
the agitation Of the Chicago Meth
odist Ministers Meeting was no
wholly unfavorable; but the bulk o
their editorial opinion was out
spoken against it as inexcusabl
"meddling." The Catholic Rerte'
made frequent editorial reference
to the question, one Of which in
cluded the following statement:
1.-THE only real disability unde
which Professionalism labors in thes
countries is that 1t is not a legalize
form Of religion, and Of this 1t ha
not the slightest right to complain
It forgets that it Is an impudent il
truder amongst (Roman) Cathol1
} population in possession Of the Ell
=. tire deposit of faith, that it is r.
ligious system, both in method ar
doctrine, odious and repugnant to Il
people Of those countries, an insult
their intelligence and their hearts.
|
An editorial in The Monitor, SS
Francisco, Of May 1s, 1895, referr'
to the Chicago Methodist ministe
as 1unatics and liars" and, in r
gard to persecution, only regrettt
that "their imported heads pro
harder than the indigenous cobbl
stones:
That mo self-respecting Prote
tant in South America would care
. touch a missionary with forty-fo
: pole; that these hypocritical hirelini
7 are In the business simply for Ii
Q ing; that they have not been able
, produce a convert from South Anne
lea who could be trusted with Z
spoons; that the doings Of the 8
called Protestant missionaries ha
!, been q scandal and q disgrace frc
: Toxic to TimbuctOo; that they COZ
! pass land and sea TO make ono pros
lyte, and make him two-fold mo
8 the child Of he'll"
OF course the Western Vote
{ man was conspicuous In the genel
I ebullition Of vituperatiye expressic
& Cardinal Satolli had designated I