Catholic Attitude To Film Stars' Marriage

Chronicle (Levin), 4 February 1949, Page 5

Catholic Attitude To Film Stars' Marriage

A rCKLAXl), Feb. 3. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, Dr. Linton, has issued a statement on the recent marriage in Rotue of the; film stars Tyrone Power and Linda Christian. He said: — ' ' Information by airinail throws light on summarv cables regarding the Tyrone Power-Linda ( hristian marriage last week in Rome. Both are Catliolics. Miss Christian had not been married before a-nd Tyrone Power was married civilly only to Annabella. She had been truly married before and henc'e, whilst her husband was iiving, could not in the eves of the church, niarry

Power or anyone el4o. Power had done a very wrong thing but in the eves of the church had not contraeted a true marriage with Annabella. Tnvestigations begun last August by the proper authorities, made it clear that he was free to niarry according to church law. Power was free civilly to niarry Miss Christian for his union with Annabella was dissolveTT by civil divorce proceedings in California in Januarv 1948. "There is a world of dilferenc» between divorce and nullity. Our civiJ courts grant many divorces and issue at times deerees of nullity. For example in a case of bigamv it will declare to No. 2 "wife," yeu went th rough, a for m of marriage with tKis man but it was null and void and the court now declares that you were nevei truly married to him. The Catholic Church grants no divorces and issues only declarations of nullity. That is wliat has been done in the Tyrone Power case. If the Powers were reeeived in audience by the Pope, we can be sur^ that tfyey would be given a stern exhortation to be ' henceforth faithful to God and to one another and to give the tyorld an example of virtuous life. ' ' j.