Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-05-18
PRIEST BITTER AGAINST
new DIVORCE MEASURE
Clergyman Likcns Britain to Stock
yard II Bill Becomes
Law
~ FATHER BERNARD VAUGHAN,
Most Famous Priest In Grent Britain.

Most Famous Priest in Grent Britain.
LONDON. May Ill am generally
counted an optimist. hut I am frank
~ disnayed By tho march OF escnts
pcciaiIy am ! scandalizcd 10y the nov
divorce bill. which has Just passed
It's second reading in the House OF
Lords.
Tho hill wil, lcsslizc polysamy.
The clause which gives any husband
or wife the right to divorce and re-
marriage aftcr three years srpara-
ton: or heEeItion' can be Interpreted
the parties when ifcy Happen 10 be-.
come tired Of one another.
Handicnps "Pinin" Woman.
What chance Will the plain look
Ina, penniless woman get Of rcmar-
riage. Yer last stat" will be worse
than her nrst
am equally Mortified by the
clause which gives husba nds and
wives on lower runs OF the social
ladder the right to apply for di-
vorcc alter two years separa ION on
"A police court order. aud b. the pro-
posai that judges should be allowed
10 call for tne suppression OF cvi-
dcnro In divorce cases.
This las; VIII mean that man
casts VIII be heard in secret. which
.axiiy tina, il growing apAcc in Eng
land today.
"No Longer tkristinn.'
No longer is England in amy clear
~ defined sense Christian coun-
try. II has passed that milestone
given IN the Divine Teacher. logi-
csily enough II IL now giving u
the. Divine teaching.
Catholics. Of course. hold that
valid marriage can pc divorced only
by death. With w marriage is some
thing moro than "A natural contract.
II is more than Divine institution.
for Il mas been raised by the
men;. Hence all your divorce Laws.
no matter what their sanction. I"
VI arc no more than "a scrap Of
paper"
But you will ask me. what think
Of these divorce facilities. not as
Catholic. but as citizen. rs an
Eng lishman. think they are AZ de-
nlorahle as any Other changc from
WAS tn read what the Lord Chan-
cclior has had 10 say about tho mar
riagc tic. Surely he vas Siyins hls
not as the Lord lIig,n Chancclior OF
England. should like his lordshin
70 meet the ihrd High Chancei.or.
statement ina, the supporters Of in
world and that the arguments in
support Of IT were "whisp-rinEs "f
inc ABANDONED SUPERSTITION" vi wv
n tho teaching of CHRIS, on this
overwhelmingly grave subject liz A
mere superstition" then the sooner
10 the pages OF our fairy tale books
DO P-opi~ Want roIyEamyt
When pcrusc what some OF my
help pausinr to ask myself: Have
they as citizens weighed fully the
consequences that must follow upon
opening wide tho doors OF the d.
it not mean exchanging monosamy
for rolygamy? Docs it no. mean
weakening OF character: And docs
it. no, moan breaking u? tho home
OF England on which, as our high
principled King has renfnded us.
tho glory Of our empire rests?
I know / shall bc told that the
country viii no longer tolerate the
wedlock that very coon we shali
demand no marriage ceremonies a,
ali. and that during the short day
of life spent on this planet people
must live together only ill they
gree 10 part. or Till they ind more
conE.niai companiorshp IN iact.
i, looks as II in the near future y
wiiI become easier TO get divorced
than TO get married.
Right 10 Motherhood.
/. /, is argued that every woman has
: a right 10 mOthcrnoo5, ana thit IN
loss she has INDUCED that right she
knows nothing o. the happiness or
ij.r. And today i; is asserted quite
openly that for man and woman
TO live together when tho love for
one or other has fastened elsewhere
becomes gross immortality.
Whittier is our country In tni-
twentieth century drifting? IL
seems TO me t'nat NC arc like ship
that has dropped pilot. nunG over
board. compass, and torn up chart.
We arc drifting Oh tho rocks where
disaster sure and sad awaits our
storm tossed bark.
My pleading cry TO my country is.
tighten the marriage tics, do not
loosen them: build M the human
character. do not tear IL down;
strengthen tho foundations oil the
home do not weaken them. Dare not
license what God forbids. venture
not TO sanction adultery and bless
poiyEamy. Lift up She marriage
state into heaven, do not drag IL
down into hell. Make England the
land OF homes. Iiclp TO Christianize,
not to paganizc. our nation.
lie; England perish outright
rather than be turned into stock
yard. dying OF suicidal corruption