MIXED MARRIAGES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 964, 9 March 1911, Page 4

MIXED MARRIAGES.

The Pope’s decree re mixed marriages is creating a stir in Great Britain, and the matter has been debated in Parliament by reason of the McCann case in Ireland. The following is a copy of the petition forwarded by Mrs McCann to the Viceroy of Ireland : May it please your Excellency— I pray your Excellency’s assistance under the following circumstances :

I am the daughter of a small farmer in county Antrim, and a Presbyterian. I was married in May, 1908, in a Presbyterian church by my own clergyman, to my husband, who was, and is, a Roman Catholic. Before our marriage he arranged with me that I should continue to attend my own place of worship and he his. Alter our marriage we lived together for some months at my mother’s home in county Antrim, but work called my husband to the West of Ireland, where I joined him, and we lived some mouths there. Afterwards we cane to Belfast, where my first child (a boy) was born in June, 1909. During all this time there was never any difference between us about religious matters, and my boy was baptised by my own clergyman. My husband on Sundays would take care ot the baby when I was out at church. A short time before our second baby (a girl) was born, in August last, my husband spoke to me about changing my faith, in consequence, he told me, of the way the Roman Catholic priest was rating him, and I was visited on several occasions by this priest, who told me I was not married at all; that I was living in open sin, and that my children were illegitimate, and he pressed me to come to chapel and be married to my husband properly. I told him that I was legally married to my husband and that I would not do what he wished, and on one occasion my husband and I besought him to leave us alone — that we had lived peaceably and agreeably before his interference, and would still continue to do so if he would leave us alone. He threatened me if I would not comply with his request, that there would be no peace in the house; that my husband could not live with me, and that if he did do so his co-religionists would cease to speak to him or recognise him. When he found he could not persuade me he left in an angry and threatening mood. From this time on my husband’s attitude to me changed, and he made no secret to me of the way he was being influenced. Our second baby was taken out of the house by my husband without my leave, and taken to chapel and there baptised. My husband also began to ill-treat me, and told me I was not his wife, that I was nothing to him but a common woman. I bore it all, hoping his old love for me would show him his error. But the power of the priests was supreme, and on returning to my home some weeks ago, after being out for a time, I found that both my dear babies had been removed, and ray husband refused to tell me where they were, beyond that they were in safekeeping. I did everything a mother could think of to get at least to see my babies, but my husband told me he dare not give me any information, and that unless I changed my faith I could not get them. A day or two after this, on pretence of taking me to see my babies, he got me out of the house for about two hours, and on my return I found everything had been taken out of the house, including my own wearing apparel and underclothing, and I was left homeless, and without any means of clothing beyond what I was wearing. My husband left me, and I could not find out where he went. I subsequently saw him at the place he was working. He was very cross with me, refused to tell me where the children were, or to do anything, and told me to go to the priest, in whose hands he stated the whole matter was, and also said unless I was remarried in the chapel I would never see the children. I subsequently saw the priest, who said he could give no information and treated me with scant courtesy. 1 have tried to find my husband, but have failed, and cannot now get any information of his whereabouts or that of my babies, and I do not know even if they are alive. My heart is breaking. I am told the police can do nothing in the matter, although if it was only a shilling was stolen they would be on the search for the thief; my babies are worth more to me than one shilling. In my despair I am driven to apply to you as the head of all authority in this country for help. lam without money, and but for the charity of kind friends I would be starving. I want to get my children and to know if they are alive, and have been told told, kind sir, that if you diverted your law officers to make enquiries, they would soon get me my rights. Will you please do so, and help a poor heart-broken woman, who will continue to pray for the Almighty’s blessing upon you and yours ?