PROTESTANTS AND MIXED MARRIAGES

Evening Star, Issue 14497, 23 February 1911, Page 3

PROTESTANTS AND MIXED MARRIAGES

A united Protestant demonstration to protest against the claims of the Roman Catholic Church in connection with mixed marriages, with particular reference to its recent assertion of those claims in Belfast, was held in the Assembly Hall, Belfast, on January 5. So keen was the interest taken in the proceedings that tho largo hall was speedily packed to its utmost capacity, and an overflow meeting had to be held in Grosvcnor Hall. More than 6,000 persons attended. Tho Moderator of the General Assembly, tho Rev.. Dr -Murphy presided, and was supported by hading represntatives of the several Protestant-denomina-tions in. Ulster.

Tho Chairman said those present did not objoct to tho Church of Rome legislating within its own sphere for the guidance of its own members; what they protested against most .strenuously was that the Church of Pome should* bo allowed to impose its laws on Protestants. That was really what it was endeavoring to do in regard to mixed marriages The ChiiTch of Porno declared that, a marriage celebrated in a Protestant church, valid if both parties wero Protestants, was invalid if one of thorn wns a Roman Catholic. It had no right to declare anything of the kind. The marriage had )>eeu entered into with tho full and free consent of tho two parties, and it was valid according 1-0 British law. Tho Church of Rome went even further, and declared that, a marriage celebrated years ago was valid up to a ceitain dste, but now had become null and void. Why? For no other reason than that the Church of Homo ehcee to say so. Could they imagine any claim moio intolerable than "that? Then" the Church of Rome decided that such a murriago, with, all the responsibilities linvolvcd m it. all the happy homo life that was bound up with it, all tho tender affections that had been fostered by it, must bo broken up, ruthlessly destroyed. Could they imagine any action more unjustifiable, mure outrageous than that? They demanded that the Church of Rome, should not interfile with Protestants in the exercise of their lawful rights and liberties. They insisted that the benefits and securities which they enjoyed as British subjects under British law should not bo stolen from them by any self-constituted ecclesiastical tyranny.

Tho Bishop of Down, Connor, and Droinore, Dr Crozier, proposed : That this mass meeting, representing tho various Protestant denominations in Ulster, protest most strongly against the pretensions of the Church of Rome in the decree on mixed marriages recently made public in this country, because (1) its aim is to set up and enforce in this country as a law of the Church a decree of the' Council of Tient (1545) which is in direct conllict with tho Jaw of the land; (2) it is unseriptural and a direct inccntivo to breach of the marriage vow; (3) by treating the offspring of a. mixed marriage, solemnised in accordance with the law of the land, as illegitimate, it not only deals most cruelly and unjustly with tho parents and their cliildren, but is in the highest degree offensive and insulting to all Protestant denominations ; (4) its application in a community like that of Ireland will increase tho cleavage between Protestants and their Roman Catholic countrymen which it is the aim of all true Cnristians to heal, and will engender bitterness and sectarian hate, to the detriment of the best interests of our country. That, as the result of the application of this decree compels a Roman Catholic husband to leave a Protestant wife and to deprive her of her children, this meeting call on (he Government to promote such legislation as will give tho wife In such cases a summaiy remedy without

going to t-lio workhouse, and will enable nor to obtain sustenance from her husband and access to her cliildren. That great meeting had been called because, especially there in Ireland, where the Protestants were in a minority, they were face to face with a grave crisis in the history of civil ami religious liberty, and in the moral and spiritual life of their nativo land. If mixed marriages performed in a Protestant place of worship wete sinful and illegal, why were, they permitted in Germany'.' The reason was (hat Germany revolted against Home's pretensions, and, because Germany was united and resolved, the Pope, surrendered. Tf such a marriage were- sinful, how was it that it could he peri'oimed at all, even by a Roman priest, after an expensive ilispensalion had been obtained from Home' Was God's moral law dependent upon a. man's financial ability to pay for the privilege of breaking it ? The Rev. J. Pollock seconded the motion, and it was .adopted. A resolution was also carried expressing sympathy with Mrs M'Cann, who, through the application of the decree, had been deserted by her husband and deprived of her two infant children ; and calling upon the. Executive to authorise the police to assist, in the effort to discover whether the children and their father are still alive, and if *o, where they are. in order that the mother may obtain justice. The motion was carried, and copies of it were ordered to be sent to the Jy.ud Lieutenant of Ireland and the members of Parliament for lielfast City.