Cardinal Moran on the Extension of Divorce

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 139, 21 May 1892, Page 3

Cardinal Moran on the Extension of Divorce

Cardinal Moran, speaking in opposition ,to the extension of divorce recently sanctioned by, the New South Wales Legis. lature said with regard to the attitude of j "Roman Catholics : "It was exactly the I same as if the Parliament was to decree the abolition of the Ten Commandments. With respect to marriage, they followed the Divine teaching, 'whom God has united man cannot dissolve,' and while they held to strict and religious obseryonce of this law they were outside the influence of political cn"Ctments. When divorce facilities were granted by Ihe French Parliament there were 60 marriages out of every 1000 dissolved in Paris, which had become a centre of in fidelity, while during the snme period of 10 years among the Catholic Bretons — the bravest and most patriotic of the children of France— the record was one in every 1000. In Catholic Ireland, with its 6,00<),(W) of people, after the Divorce Act had passed there were only eleven d.ivoces is 20 years. In Canada, which was almost a Catholic country the average was six divorces a year, while in the United Statts, where the binding nature of the marriage rate as upheld by Christian religion was practically set I aside, they had, according to the official statistics, a total of 328.000 diyorces. He would like lo commend to the atten* tit>n "f those who were advocating the so-called privileges of divorce in Australia the action of the Ameer of Afghani stun, who, when appealed to by a lady to grant her a divorce on the ground thai her husb »nd had become bald, showed his indignation by ordering that the lady should bo set on a monkey with her face to the animals tail, and thus Jed^ through every street of her native place."