LENTEN POSTORAL.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 82, 26 February 1877, Page 2

LENTEN POSTORAL.

We publish for the benefit of onr Roman Catholic readers, the Leh'en Pasioral of his Grace the Bis';op of Wellin.;ton :— Dearly Beloved Bre hren ani Dear Children ia Jesus C'srisl, — One of the chief duties of on- «*p'scop;-l office is to point out to you. a id en 'eavo - to remove from joy, whatever is n <!:< tiger to you 5 * holy faith, for ' withont vi '- vis impossible to please GoA'' ("V-. x». 6). jfovr, bcrides the un? voidable peril ,o lbs nu'-ity a»'d liveliness of you' fV<.'-, am- ig from your daily in'cc course with n.-:» who profess no religion or a ww>ig on-, aod from your moving iv an a.mosphe rof heresy, indifference, or infidelity, ibo.-e are two especial daogers in this coloay — the one is secular or Godless education, r.r-cl ;_.» other, mixed marriages. The former peril we exao*in*?d at fall !?og;h in our last Lenten Pasio-al, and we shewed how falsely the pu ely secular O'.'uca'iion is ia its pri-iciples. '-od how pernicious ia its eflvcls upoa society. We shall now pdd but a fevr words of most earnest cxhoi tation on the sa-m* »«n» portant subject. Be-vare, my tiea? c'.iilcb-en in Jesus Christ, of sivongtheJug tbe hands of the enemies of your child i*eu's faith ; do not so v-o'afe you 1 * duty to Go.' and to your children as to scad i'-ein *o any but a Catholic school, wherever a Catholic school oan be had ; and every effort must be made by yoa to establish Catholic schools, wherever that is possible. For, consider what you aie doing, when, disregarding your own school, yoa entrust your children to a secnlar one. You risk their faith which they certainly will not learn there, and which they may learn to despise there. You are guilty of a gross breach of parental duty ; yoa en» courage, nay contribute to the success of, a system of education reprobated by tbe Holy See; you are injuring your own school, built aud maintained at great cost, for yon reduce its numbers, lower its efficiency, cripple its means, and, may be, endanger its very existence. Besides, who shall estimate the scandal you are giving ko yonr fellow Catholics, and to thee outside *hs fold P Let every Catholic parent, therefore, remember the awfal words of onr Blessed Saviour: "It were better for Wm that a millstone were put about his neck, and be cast into the sea, than that be sbonid scandalise one of tbese little ones.'' IfMatt. xviii. &> We may come to the latter great peril —mixed marriages ; that is, tho marriages of Catholics with Protestants or nonCatholics. Had we to notice only a small number of such marriages its our Diocese, we should refrain from speaking to you abont them -. bat alas, their number is great, and it is ever on tbe increase ,- they are becoming' a veritable pest. So lament" ably prevalent are they—especially in oertain places— that many of you, who in Catholic Ireland would have been hor* rifled at the thought nf them, now look apon such unions is a matter of coarse

and unobjectionable, Often times nothing can exceed the lerity with which the Catholic party rushes into such an engagement; the day is fixed, the preparations completed, and then dispensation is asked for as a mere formality. No grave canse is pleaded why the solemn laws of the Church should be set aside. Sometimes your pastors are afraid that a refusal would drive you into rebellion aod ! open defiance of the Church, and hence j they allege this danger as a reason for obtaining this dispensation. This motive mny bave weight in some cases, but in ordinary ones we cannot conscientiously deem it sufficient. We have too bigh an opiuion of the virtue of our flock, and too great an esteem for a solemn law of the Church, to accept such a plea. The Holy See informs ua that dispensations for mixed marriages are granted oily on a tine and real necessity, while it iasists, wiih particular emphasis, oa the evils which such unions involve. Tha stringency of ihe Church's laws and sirictious' witness forcibly to the gravity of the evils and dangers. Christian marriage, being a sacrament, represents the ineffable union of Jesus Christ with H : s Church ; aud, therefore, it ought to be founded on the common er.joymenfc of the t»ue faith and love of Christ. Iv ihee ill-assorted unions thrre is no such basis, but only the fleeting and eanbly ground j of merely natural passion and affection. Tbere is no sympathy, no communion, j between husband and wife in (he deepest, highest, and holies; interests sr.d aspi rations. One purpose of matrimony is, that the two parties should help ea'hoi her in the path to heaven ; bnt, in mixed marriages, the Catholic party knowingly and dciii berately exposes himself or herself io a life-long occasion of deadly sio, to the loss, at least the decline of faith ; to ihe gradual cooling and extiac'ion of fer roar and piety, and to the neglect of the most essential dnf'es of religiou. Would lo God the truth of tins were not brought home to in cve 7 day! And the more estimable end amiable aye tbe qualities of the Protestant party, ihe more insinuating and the greater is the dn-ager. Again, m?rriage is ordained thatched* era may have two who s.'e responsible lo reprthem for heaven in Christina faith and piety, who may help them in different ways, wiio may cc-n»!c.e each other's authority and >»flaeuce, or supply for esch other deficiencies. A milo! bee we have a party who is the child's foe, ra'ner then its frienc 1 , on ;'!«• mo«t important concern of its existence, a^id who is likely to hate and sneer vi what the child ong^t to be taught ?o revere and love. How often the parental hom-a tints h.*» co "ties the school of ?e!'g T .ous hvuff-j-eaee, if no'- of open unbelbf I With reason, then, • 1 o?s 'he Churcb abhor and fVbid s ic'i mi-*:i.frc-j, fi? nri.'i^ of fT>iiHc< so n-a't'f fie [Jo'» F^rovy of _1 ni *.r?t°>. In !•• d, fy. espe-ia! jind sroye reason**, s'tc floes s»neti:nes -el-.'X b»?r laws; sho vnfe- 1 •{*■•!« w'a»r vt* cannot altogether pi'erfm , but s , «»uiv«.-ia« hr requires thnt the d*»n-;t*.- b? i-oiored «s fn* as possible, by sol**»ii » n 'o^ises a 1 1 &,vm'«ew conditions: aid also, tti;.f s _s a '-great motive, soms r e d n->c?<'.;r-, should erst io excuse the incurrinc; of dangers smd evils which must, i.i anyc«se>, toa e ..ft^n extent remain. We exhort you, therefore, dear Bey. B-etbren. not only to read this P-storal to your flock, bnt also t> impress upon -'.» _ wiih dnedi-cn-tion again and aguu, ho _ in orivate snd public, thes* two points : first, tbat, as a ruK m _<* 1 ma**ri'<jes*areabhorred and forbid-leu by the Church ; and secondly, that hare cannot be o'ltamed for them unless some grate motive be alleged in addition to foe fn'» fitment of the conditions prescribed, | which conations all mnst be clearly l taught. We trust tint this on** solema J admonition will produc? good results, and prevent many, if not a'l such deplorable unions for the futare. Moreover, we earnestly beseech you deat* children in Jesus Christ, to spend this holy and acceptable time of Lent in the true spirit of penance and prayer. Generously observe the f* sting prescribed by the Church. Do no*; flatter your* selves ; Lent is intended to punish and afflict our sinful flesh, and curb our will to future obedience. Do not exempt yourselves from the feasts without previous permission from yonr eriesis. Also endeavor to spend more lime in prayer, and increase yoar alms-deeds and good works ; for *' prayer is good with fasting and alms, mor* tban to lay np treasures of gold" (Tobias xii, 8.) And as tbe whole Church, hierarchy, priesthood, re* ligious orders, and laity— together with her glorious and saintly head— is still going through an unusually severe trial for justice and truth, remimber'her in your prayers and good works. In union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, throngh the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, aod of tbe glorious patriarch ol St Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, offer up your prayers and fasts, offer up yoar punctual attendance at tbe holy services of the Churcb, offer u>j your alms and other good works, not only for yonr own personal needs, bat for the whole' body of the Church, so that her trials may lie shortened, her victory hastened, and your merits greatly increared. " And may the God of Peace, fit you in all goodness, that you may do His will : doing ia you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Heb. xii. 20, 21). F-akcis, Bishop ot Wntunotoir.