MARRIAGE DECREES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30155, 12 June 1963, Page 5

MARRIAGE

DECREES

Relaxation Predicted

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, June 9.

Richard Cardinal Cushing, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, has proposed that many of the Church’s restrictions on marriage between Roman Catholics and nonCatiholics be abolished, particularly the religious promises required of the nonCatholic partner. His comments, in an interview published in the current issue of “America,” a Jesuit weekly magazine, are among the strongest ever made by an ?.merican cardinal concerning revisions in the Roman Catholic marriage laws. Cardinal Cushing said the promises which the nonCatholic partner must undertake are “an irritant to many, and some (people), it is clear from what happens subsequently, make the promises in bad faith.”

One of the main promises to which Cardinal Cushing referred requires the nonCatholic partner to pledge that all children of the marriage be baptised and educated as Roman Catholics.

Cardinal Cushing predicted that the Church’s canon laws on marriage would be changed as a result of the Ecumenical Council.

“That is,” he said, “if the council is faithful to the Pastor approach that has been established and which Pope John himself requested.” “If we no longer required the promises, we would not be changing any dogma of the Church,” he said.