Newspaper Page Text
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
17
CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE.
(Continued from Page 2)
mission for both to marry again. The child was given
to the mother, who occupied the country residence.
Two weeks after the divorce they both contracted
fresh alliances and while on their honeymoon the
child was stricken with scarlet fever. Both father
and mother were notified and both came, and on the
evening of their arrival the child died. Neither fa
ther or mother addressed a word to the other, though
the little child tried to bring their hands together as
they sat by her dying bedside. It is only one case
out of a thousand. Yet public opinion cannot be
roused to the recognition of the deplorable nature
and yet more deplorable consequences of the direct
violation of God’s law.
God has solemnly declared that those who, after
divorce, marry again are adulterers. Georgia says
“God is mistaken.’’ And we call ourselves a Chris
tian nation.
The Catholic Church is the divinely appointed
teacher of men, and in all matters concerning faith
and morals, her voice and teaching are the voice and
teaching of Christ Himself, for He has declared to
her: “He who hears you hears Me; and he who de
spises you despises Me.’’
Catholics should know what is the precise teaching
of the Church on this subject, and much misunder
standing among Protestants will be removed if they
know what are the doctrine and practice of the Church
on Christian marriage.
The Words of Our Redeemer.
The position of the Catholic Church is based on
the words of our Blessed Redeemer:
“On account of this a man shall leave his
father and mother and shall cleave to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh,
so that they are no longer two, but one
flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined to
gether, let no man put asunder.” (Mark
X:7-8-9.)
“Whosoever shall put away his wife and
marry another committeth adultery against
her.” (Mark X:10-1 1.)
“Every one that putteth away his wife
and marrieth another committeth adultery;
and he that marrieth her that is put away
from her husband committeth adultery.”
(Luke XVI: 18.)
And writing to the Corinthians, St. Paul
said:
“But to the married I command, not I, but
the Lord, that a wife depart not from her
husband, but if she depart, let her remain
unmarried, or let her be reconciled to the
husband. And that a husband dismiss not a
wife.” (1 Cor. VI: 1 0-1 1.)
“A married woman is bound by law to
the living husband, but if the husband dies
she is released from the husband, so then
while the husband is living she shall be
called an adultress if she belong to another
man.” (Rom. VIL2-3.)
Marriage is as old as the human race, being a
sacred contract authorized and instituted by God Him
self. It was raised to the dignity of a Sacrament by
our Divine Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and as
such it produces, as do all the other Sacraments, spe
cial graces peculiar to itself. These graces, as stated
in the Catechism, are “(1) To sanctify the love of
husband and wife; (2) to give them strength and pa
tience to bear with one another’s weaknesses; (3)
to enable them to bring up their children in the
love and fear of God.”
As Baptism is necessary for the valid reception of
all the other Sacraments, only baptized persons can
at marriage receive the Sacrament of Matrimony.
Unbaptized persons may contract a lawful and valid
marriage between themselves, which is binding as a
life-long contract—but only when they are baptized
can the Sacrament be received.
When two baptized persons contract marriage, thus
receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony—of which
Sacrament they themselves are the ministers this
contract is binding until death, provided the mar
riage has been consummated; and no power on earth
can dispense from this. What God hath joined to
gether let no man put asunder. Separation of hus
band and wife may be allowed for certain weighty
and extraordinary reasons, but in this case the bond
of union still remains as long as either of the parties
to the contract remain alive. Only death can dis
solve it.
Since Matrimony is a Sacrament instituted by
Christ, it belongs to the Church, and the Church
alone, to make laws regulating its valid and lawful
celebration; and the Church can not legislate in any
way against the natural or Divine law. The Church
has the right to make laws regarding the celebration
of marriage, given to her by her Divine Founder, and
those who belong to the Church are as much bound
in conscience to respect these laws as they are to
observe the Commandments of God Himself. No
power can make valid what the Church declares in
valid we should obey God rather than men. Cath
olics prove themselves very poorly acquainted with
their faith and unworthy the name of Catholic who
disregard and trample upon the laws made by the
Church, with the authority of God.
The civil authority has no right to regulate the
essence of this or of any other Sacrament. But the
State does not possess the power to make laws affect
ing the civil effects of marriage—the ownership of
property by the husband or wife, the right of citizen
ship, etc. These laws of the State which are purely
civil in their character ought to be obeyed, so long
as they are not in any way in conflict with the higher
law of God.
It is not true on the contrary it is a calumny
against the Catholic Church—to state that the Church
does not recognize the marriages of non-Catholics as
lawful and binding. The exact opposite is the truth.
The Church proclaims that the marriages of baptized
non-Catholics are as holy and binding as those per
formed in the Catholic Church; and the marriages
of unbaptized non-Catholics are binding for life also.
No civil decree of divorce in either of these cases is
recognized by the Church as giving any right to re
marry during the lifetime of either party to the origi
nal contract, unless it can be proven beyond question
that there was no real marriage from the beginning.
This would apply, however, just as much to a mar
riage ceremony in the Catholic Church as it does to
one performed elsewhere. In cases of doubt the
Church always presumes the marriage to be valid
until proven otherwise.
Laws Governing Catholic Marriage.
The Church has made the following laws concern
ing the marriage of Catholics. They do not apply to
non-Catholic marriages, which are valid and lawful
unless there is some impediment arising from the
natural or Divine law. Purely Ecclesiastical laws are
binding only upon members of the Church.
( 1 ) Only those marriages are valid which are con
tracted before the parish priest or the Bishop of the
place, or a priest delegated by either of these, and at
least two witnesses.
(2) The parish priest or Bishop may assist validly
at a marriage only within the limits of their terri
tory, and when invited and asked, they demand and
receive the consent of the contracting parties.
(3) They assist lawfully when they have ascer
tained the free state of the contracting parties, and
at least one of the parties has lived for a month in