THE MARRIAGE LAW

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 8, 5 October 1920, Page 7

THE MARRIAGE LAW

Sir —The address of Dr. O'Shea to the Dominion Executive of tho R.C. Federation, as published in the Press, is amazing in its misrepresentations and avoidanco of facts. It would seem that evidence has no value to the rcverond gentleman upless it accords with his views. "Our enemies," he says, "are accusing us of breaking up happy homes by our marriage laws, of driving people apart, and so on." I havo tendered evidence from the publications of tho Roman Church that those things aro being done under tho sanction of that Church. I havo offered to bring evidenco of tho faots, and I will undertake beforo any competent and proper tribunal to prove that homes are being disrupted, couples separated, and children left worse off than orphans by the operation of tho teachings of the Roman Church respecting marriago. It is no old lie, but n serious and tragic fuel;. Why does Dr. O'Shea play with words by statiug that "Catholics do not say that the people who contract civil marriage are not legally married . . . but wo do say that such persons are not truly and sufficiently married." _ The plain meaning of that statement is that a legal mnrriago is no marriiige, and that persons so married "are not married at all," to quote tho official catechism of the Romoji Church, p. 57. Dr. Cleary, in his book "Catholic Marriage," terms a legal marriage just "legalised concubinage"; Dr, Kelly terms it "life legalised adultery." A legal marriage is n. tmo, sufficient, and proper marriage in the eyes of the law, and it is 60 viewed by all tho Churches and the people of the Empire outside the pale of the Roman Church, and the people so married havo a right to demand that they shall bo protected from having their marriage, their characters, and the characters of their children aspersed because tho Pope of Rome says that tho only' true and suffiiont marriage is one performed by a priest of his communion. There cannot be any settlement of this matter until the nriests and members of tho Roman Church are made to understand that whatever they may choose to believe, the law of New Zealand is superior to Pope's law, and obedience to tho law entitles the law-abiding people to the protection of tho law against any denunciations or persecutions at the hands of Romanists. No threats or fulminations will prevent us demanding nnd scouring these just rights. _ _ , Dr. O'Shea's explanation of the origin, purpose, and maintenance of tho P.P.A., nnd Ms veiled references to myself, are so grotesque and plainly inaccurate as to be treated witl: contempt. They compare with the statement of tho Rev.' Mr. O'Jlare, when addressing an Irish gathering at Greymouth on Friday last. This erntor announced: "The No Temere decree was a beacon lit to attract ths wople and get their eyes off butter. . . . Tho butter would be 'whistled' nut nf tho country and then they would pn»' 2s. 9d. per pound for it." Tho nationality <if the speaker will be percoived from his truly hibernian way of stating the rose. Dr. O'Shea is as far frout tho truth about the P.P.A. as Hr. O'lTaro is from the truth about the No Tomore decree. Tho books of tho P.P.A. show that tho support has been from the working men and weuien of tho towns nnd country who contribute in small sums. "Big Money" has played little part in our affairs, ond "profiteers" less. Nevertheless, it i« sufficient for the R.C. Federation that an archbishop has said otherwise.—l am, etc.. HOWARD El/Lion. Wellington, September 28, 1!)2!l.