The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-06
THE POOR PARED BETTER

HE FOOk FAXED BETTER
 Recently from the Vatican there came the report for the year of l940 of the Sacred Roman Rota, the Church's Supreme Court" During the year the court heard 76 cases involving the question of the nullity of marriage. Of these 76 cases, 55 were held valid and only 21 declared invalid. Because the applicants were unable to af- ford the cost of the proceedings, 3l of the cases heard, were heard without payment of fee. Of these 3l cases heard without cost to the
 applicants, II marriages were declared invalid, while of the 45 applicants who were able to pay the fee only 10 of the marriages were declared invalid. So, as Newsweek points out, the poor fared better than the rich. The report, while not unusual, is per- haps surprising to some whose knowledge of this and many sim liar things of the Church. has come from secondhand sources. CAPTAIN JAMES ROOSEVELT
 Not long ago rumors were fu- rious of Captain James Roosevelt, the scion of our country's first family and the third of the chil- dren to marry after divorce since their father became President. The Boston Post first published the story of MT. Roosevelt and his friend Romelle Schneider, the former nurse of St. Mary's hos- pital, Rochester. Minnesota, where Roosevelt was once a patient. A divorced man, the story went, he was to become a Catholic and they were to be married by Q priest. Sharp words were ban died about. "How?", many asked. The wagging tongues of the jubi- lant critics worked vigorously. The sensible said, Wait and see"
 And then the rumors died so coldly when Captain Roosevelt and his friend went through a civil marriage ceremony before & municipal judge in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Both of us wished 1t could be church ceremony, Roosevelt sad, but my divorce from Betsy Cushing Roosevelt pre- vents Q marriage in the Catholic church to which Miss Schneider belongs" So. MT. Roosevelt did not become @ Catholic; he was not married in the Catholic church; he was not married by Q priest.
 Whence came the ruInors? Al- though such matters are the busi- ness of only the parties involved and are never made public by the Church, 1t Is possible that the ru- mors arose from a request that Miss Schneider had a right to make. and possibly did make, that the validity of the former mar riage of MT. Roosevelt be inves- tigated. But whether or not the request was made. 1t is quite evi- dent that the Catholic Church holds the Protestant marriage of MT. Roosevelt and Betsy Cushing In higher respect that MT, Roose- velt himself, and recognizes 1t as true and indissoluble. As for the young lady involved, she was forced to make the choice that many girls have been faced with before, the choice between Christ and His creatures.
 CATHOLIC STATISTICS
 The Catholic Directory for l94l, which has just come from the press lists the total Catholic pop ulatlot of our country at 22,293 ,l0l. The number represents an in- crease of 889,o65 over last year, During l040, 33s new churches were erected bringing the total to l9,l2l. High schols now number 1,442 with 3l of them added dur ing lo40, while the number of par ish schools is 7,760, an increase Of