MARRIAGE LAW AMENDMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3577, 13 September 1920, Page 4

MARRIAGE LAW AMENDMENT.

5 STRONG CATHOLIC RESENTMENT.i * ■ OPPOSED TO CATHOLIC DOCTRINE. -<■ ... s~* v } r WELLINGTON, This Day. “ • ; The Roman . Catholic Archbishop re- . ' fer.red to the proposed amendment of g | the Marriage Laws at St, Joseph’s * | Church, Wellington last night. 'He read a Legal opinion as to the effect „ of the amendment which -held that 3 unless altered, left- it doubtful whe- . ther the church coud teach its doctrine regarding marriage as a sacra* “legal wedlock” and to “truly r opinion suggested that the words“trim wedlock” should be altered to “legal wedlock” and to “truly and i sufficiently married” should be adder! t “according to law.'” The Archbishop stated that he had informed Mr. Massey that he intended to make a public statement on the . question, and, “that I intend to say that if this law passed as it stands and has the meaning put upon it by learned counsel whom we have consulted, then I will take the first opportunity of deliberately, breaking ife> . I will encourage my priests and people to disobey it on every possible occasion, and as I intend, if® pay no fines you will have to imprison me, and I will state that 'X know that other ■ bishops, priests and Ca: holies of itie Dominion will take up exactly the same attitude towards the law. Mr. Massef replied .that- counsel’s ■opinion would he ,referred 'to the Crown Law office before the Bill was dealt with by the House. The archbishop proceeded*, ‘‘they mean precisely whjat was said and would defy and disobey any law pre-< venting us from treating the doctrines of the ! church. They did not mean, to have the Government or Parliament under any misapprehension as to what the attitude of Catholics will be in .regard to the taw that attacked, their religious doctrines. w jjt) resen L and defy such law if passed by every means in our power and God helping us will never allow it to prevail over us. ’ "