The Vatican and Clerical Marriages.

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 109, 9 May 1895, Page 3

The Vatican and Clerical Marriages.

An important statement with reference to the attitude of the Church of Rome relative to the celibacy of the clergy is made by a correspondent of the London Globe, as follows :—": — " I hear from Rome that Pope Leo XIII. is devoting considerable time daily to the study of literature bearing upon the question of Anglican orders. The works of _ the principal authors who have written in tbeir defenoe are being carefully examined by the officials at the Holy Office, with a view to giving full consideration to the olaims of the High Church Party. The Pope is dispoaed to abolish the law of oompnlsory oolibacy for the secular clergy, confining the obligation of celtbaoy to members of religious orders who take vows of poverty, chastity, audobedienoe. It is not generally known that secular priests make no vowa, though the law of the Roman Church forbida them to marry, and annuls their marriages if contracted in defiance of itfPrecepts. This is a point of eoeleuiastical ( j^Moipline which applies only to the secular - clergy of the Latin rite. It ia well known that the Oriental olergy of the various Eastern rites who are in communion with Rome aro allowed to marry provided they do so before reception of the order of priesthood. His Holiness, thereioie, in order to facilitate the re-union of the Anglican Church, with the Roman, is favourable to the extension of tho same privilege to the Beoular olergy of the Latin rite. In point of faot, the t-overeign Pontiff is well aware that the law of com, ulsory celibacy has already become a dead letter among the paroohial olergy throughout South America, from Mexico to Patagonia, and to a great extent also in bpain, Portuga', Italy, and the dependencies of those countries. The repeal of this piece of medievalism would be in acrordance with the spirit and enlightenment of the age, and wonld tend to increase the efEoienoy of the paroohial machinery among Roman Catholics, and doubtless would, as his Holiness surmises, largely augment the number of seceders to Rome from the ranks of the Ritualistic party. Cardinal Vaugbon and tho Anglo-Koman bishops generally are ur favourable to any change in tho existing discipline; bat Dr. Brownlow, Bishop of Clifton, and Dr. Hcdley, Bishop of Newport and Menoyia, are believed to entertain the same sentiments as the Pope on this question."