CATHOLIC LAWYERS

Evening Star, Issue 22576, 18 February 1937, Page 11

CATHOLIC LAWYERS

POSITION IN DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS

SYDNEY BARRISTER'S VIEWS

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

SYDNEY, February 18. (Received February 18, at 11.5 a.m.) A barrister, commenting on Father Murphy’s statement, declared: ‘‘lt is definitely appreciated by those conversant with the canon law that. Catholic lawyers can defend or act for a petitioner with lawful cause in the divorce courts of this or any other country where divorce is legal. In the Catholic mind there is no possibility of dissolution of the marriage bond being effected as against the church by legal divorce proceedings. The church views the divorce decree as effecting separation only. A Catholic lawyer, by appearing in such proceedings, is certainly not acting contrary to the canon law.”

[A previous message stated: “ Preaching in St. Mary’s Cathedral to-day at a red mass marking the opening of the 1937 law term. Father P. J. Murphy observed that there was an obligation upon Catholic members of tixe legal profession tx> refuse ‘to have a hand, act, or take part ’ in divorce proceedings. ‘As Catholics,’ he continued, ‘you cannot countenance anything so vile as marriage being considered merely a private contract between a man and a woman which can be dissolved if the haw thinks it well. Do not tell mo you are refusing good fees and losing clients. The law is not a livelihood ; it is a nrofession you follow to enable your follow-men 1j resist an oppressor. Surely yon cannot hold with the contention that an Act of Parliament can directly deny the positive teaching of Christ or that it can take holiness out of a marital contract and make it what the irreligious teach and desire, merely a traffic in chattels.’