The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1921-06-08
URGES CLERGY
NOT TO MARRY
DIVORCED COUPLES
New York Bishop Says Mar
riage in America Approach
ing Low Standard That
Caused Fall of Rome.

New York.-Urging the clergy to
be more circumspect about marrying
persons who had been divorced, Bish-
Oh Frederick E. Burgess of the Long
Island Episcopal Diocese said in
opening the annual convention of the
diocese at the Cathedral of the In
carnation Mineola, that marriage in
\ America and the views on family life
are fast approaching the low standard
( that caused the fall of the Roman
Empire. The Bishop scored also the
modern novel and said that the mode
4 of dress of the present day young
kwomen lacks both dignity and pro-
Priety.
The Bishop told the clergy that
thew must inform themselves care
fully in regard both to the State and
the church law on marriage" and
added that ION no account can the
clergy marry any divorced person un-
less the case has first been pronounc-
ed upon by the Bishop. Ignorance OF
the law will excuse no one.
Bishop Burgess took for his subject
Canon AZ on the solemnization OF
matrimony, which, he said, has OF
recent years been so often appealed
to in this diocese that l believe few
words as to the rights and duties
both of the clergy and the laity un-
der this cannon cannot be out OF place
or unwelcome.
"Let us preface this consideration
of the canon by glance at the mar
rage situation as 1t confronts tne
nation today" he continued. The tall
of the Roman Empire was produced
by the laxity and rottenness OF the
laws of marriage.
Slaves Forbidden to Marry.
"The slaves, perhaps numerically
one-quarter of the population, were
not allowed to marry at all Divorce
was absolutely free to the men, and,
~ the time of our Lord we are told
Hthat there was scarcely society
woman in Rome Who had not been
divorced at least two or three times.
"The consequence was that the tam
iiv life because debauched and des-
troyed. 1t is sad thing for little
child to lose its mother by death, yet
l know one other thing that is sadder
and that is to have the child lose
father or mother by divorce. Family
vitality was weakened in the Roman
world and the nation suffered an in
sidious decay in it's morals and ideals.
"This low standard of sexual moral
ity in Roman society we seem to be
fast approaching here in America. l
have no statistics with which to startle
Won. Indeed we do not need any. Di-
vorce is all around us. Our news
papers tell the sickening story so far
as society is concerned, but the d.
Go all aud unlike the
mills of the gods, they do not grind
slowly. The divorce business has De-
come the most lucrative of the law,
and if now the Church were to arise
to its Apostolic strength and effect
the trading in divorces, Just as the
Church in St. Pauls time, by preach
ing against idolatry dimished the
demand for the little silver statues OF
Diana, there are some lawyers VINO
would say as the representatives OF
the silversmith union said at the mass
meeting in Epsesus, "Sirs, we know
that by this craft we have our wealth.
Two Theories on Marriage.
"Looking at the history of mankind
we can see that two theories in re-
gard to marriage have been contend
ing with one another all down the
centuries. The one is that it is simply
a sensuous physical relationship. In
accordance with this in civilized coun-
tries it is given authorization by the
law through contrasts which would
be on the basis of all other countries
if the State were not interested in the
integrity of the family and the well
fare of the children.
"Of course l am not thinking OF
such PSEUDO states as Bolshevism and
extreme Socialism would produce,
with their contempt for marriage and
with their State nurture of children;
for such principles, If carried out.
would produce not merely the end OF
civilization, but the suicide of the
world This physical and contractual
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