NE TEMERE DECREE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7929, 12 October 1911, Page 4

NE TEMERE DECREE

PRESBYTERIAN ACTION QUESTION TO COMB BEFORE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. PRESS ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH, October 10. The Christchurch Presbytery met today. The Rev. R. Wood moved an, overture to the General Assembly on the subject of the Ne Temere decree on mixed marriages, of which he gave notice a month ago. After dealing with the matter from a historical point of view, Mr Wood said that a very clover, subtle and' long-winded paniphiet had been written by i)r. Cleary, in which the writer tried to make out that the decree had been made more liberal than it was; but, as a matter of fact, the decree simply declared that no marriage was valid unless it was solemnised by a Roman Catholic priest.. That legislation took place at Easter, 1908. This clerical meddling with the marriage . laws had created a reaction against clericalism in countries where the latter had been dominant. In Italy the Government had gone to the length of declaring that no marriage was legal unless solemnised before the civil authorities. That was an extraordinary reaction. Mr Gladstone had described the situation well when he said that it was revolting and dangerous to society. Mr Wood said that mixed marriages had been valid for 300 years, but now they were absolutely null and void. Hr. Fleming raised this question: Was the will of the Almighty in thd hands of a weak, erring man like the head of tho Vatican? A peculiar thing about the policy of the Church of Romo was that the whole of Germany was exempted from this decree. Why so? It was because the German people would not have it. An outrageous encyclical was published by tho Pope attacking the Reformation and vilifying the reformers. Germany was up in arms, and a diplomatic note was sent to the Secretary of the Vatican. The result was that the Pope ordered the encyclical not to be published in Germany, and it was for fear of a similar outcry that the Ne Temere decree was not published there. Tho result of this state of affairs was that what the decree declared to be concubinage in Christchurch was a legal marriage in Germany. Mr Wood said) he wished to point out that this legislation had already worked its way into the penny and twopenny catechisms nsed by tho Roman Catholic churches in New Zealand. He quoted from the " Catechism of Christian Doctrine" to show that this was so. On the other hand, it was not included in the Now York nor in the British catechism. There’ was thus a foul stigma attached to those mixed marriages solemnieed in New Zealand since Easter, 1908. Recently a heart-breaking letter was published in a Christchurch daily paper, written by a ; woman whoso marriage had thus been declared null and void. In. conclusion, Mr Wood said that tho closing words of his overture, calling on tho Government to lake such measures as were neoeswary to deal with the position, were copied from a deliverance passed by the United Free Church of Scotland. The story of the notorious McCann mixed marriage case showed the harshness, wickedness and cruelty of the operation of the decree. It cut right across New Zealand legislation and brought unhappiness into tho homes of those who had contracted mixed marriages. He moved that the overture be transmitted to the General Assembly. Tho Rev. S. E.’ Hill seconded the motion. He said that the Church owed a debt to the Rev. Mr Wood for the work ho had given to tho subject. There was a deplorable lack of knowledge concerning Reformation principles among young people in New Zealand. The decree was playing into the hands, of tho Roman Church and giving it a power of proselytising that it did not formerly possess. Ho did not wish to encourage mixed marriages, but these did take place, and since this iniquitous decree what hope had they of keeping Presbyterians so situated true to their Church? Very few such would care to adhere to their Protestant faith under the influence of the decree.

At this stag© the Presbytery went into committee to hear. Mr Hill's acconnt of a young woman of his acquaintance who married a Roman Catholic. On resuming in open Presbytery the motion was carried unanimously, and tho Revs. E. Wood and S. E. Hill were appointed to support tho overture before the General Assembly.