Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-08
CONTROL OF BIRTH
CLASSED AS GRAVE
CRIME BY PONT|FF
EnCyclicaI ReStates Doctrine
Marriage Is IndiSSoIubIe
for Any Reason.
EXPERIMENTAL WEDDINGS
ARE REJECTED UTTERLY
Document of $4,000 Words Touches
Sanctity of Vows for First
Time in so Years.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
VATICAN CITY, January Birth
control, trial marriage and divorce were
scathingly condemned today in an en-
cyclical of Pope Plus XXI reaf1rming
the Catholic doctrine of the sanctity of
matrimony. 1t was the first such ex-
preston of the Holy See on the theme
in so years.
The encyclical, containing 10000
words, drew upon the full sources Of
ecclesiastical authority for its precepts,
which, mandatory on the faithful, the
Pontif said he hoped to see accepted by
all men.
He expressed himself IS follows:
Birth Control.-Those practicing
birth control the Pontiff describes as
branded with the guilt of grave
crime" Abortion is termed murder"
Divorce-The age-old Catholic doc
trine of the indissolubility of marriage
for any reason whatsoever is reaf1irmed.
Companionate marriage Expert
mental marriage of any sort the Pontih
utterly condemns.
Marriage-Its sacred, permanent
character is reaf1irmed by the Holy
Father, who lists its blessings as chill
dren, conjugal fidelity and honorable
obedience to matrimonial obligations.
Modern woman-She owes obedience
10 her husband. but not at the sacrifice
Of dignity or TO the point OF obey1ng
unreasonable requests.
Sex education-The Vatican con
dennis exaggerated physiological edll-
cation although maintaining that the
basis Of happy or unhappy married life
is laid TO preparation during youth for
matrimony.
Sterilization human agency has
the right, the PontiT declares, to i'm
pair or destroy the generative function
of the body. He advised, however, that
persons to whom sterilization would be
applicable not be married.
Against Law Of Nature"
Referring to birth control, which
bishops of the Anglican Church in
dorsed under certain circumstances at
the Lambeth conference In London last
Summer, the Pontif condemns al such
practices as against the law Of God
and nature"
The encyclical unequivocably calls
abortion murder. The practice OF
b1cInl1dbtOn "a bkAS pAyoACcAy UNIV -
proclaimed to be against the law Of
God. The unfit. the pontif says,
should be dissuaded from marriage, but
he maintains that the body Of every
man Is sacred and that public magis-
trates can be given no power to harm
the bodyS integrity except where q
grave crime Is concerned.
Affirming that the laws Of marriage
are Of God, "the author Of nature, and
redeemed" the Encyclical declares:
''These laws cannot be subject to any
human DEGREES or to any contrary
pact. even of the spOlses themselves"
st. Augustine Quoted.
The words Of ST. Augustine are
quoted to put forward that of all the
blessings of marriage the child holds
first place; St. Paul, the Pontth said,
at wish young girls to marry
70 beget children, to be mothers OF
families"
Both husband and wife, however"
the Encyclical states, receiving these
children with JOY and gratitude from
the hand of God, win regard them as
a talent committed to their charge by
God not only TO be employed for their
own advantage or for that Of an earthly
commonwealth, but to be restored to
God with interest on the day Of reckon
ing"
The second blessing of matrimony,
the Pontih says, is that Of conjugal
honor in the mutual fidelity of husband
and wife, and the words Of st. Angus
tine again are quoted that the mar
rage rights may not be denied by either
of the parties to each other nor per-
uaitted to any third person.
Citing the words Of the apostle, Let
women be subject to their husbands as
10 the Lord, because the husband is the
head Of the wife, as Christ is the head
Of the church." the Pontih denies that
this enjoins obedience TO her husbands
every request or that 1t implies that the
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