MARRIAGE LAWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1920, Page 5

MARRIAGE LAWS.

ATTITUDE OF CATHOLIC CrIUROH.. EMPHATIC PROTEST MADE. By Telejraiih.—Press Association, Wellington, Last Night. At a special meeting this evening, the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Catholic Federation recorded its emphatic protest' against the clause inserted in the Marriage Bill by the Legislative Council, "seeing that, according to the best legal authority, this amendment would penalise the Church for teaching her doctrine on the sacrament of matrimony." The Federation offered its loyal support to the Archbishops and Bishops of New Zealand in the stand they are taking to resist interference with religious liberty. ,'. ARCHBIBHOP O'SHEA DEFIANT. * Wellington, Sept. 14. Archbishop O'Shea referred to the amendment of the. marriage laws at-St> Joseph's Church last night. He read a legal opinion as to the effect of the amendment, which held that the amendment, unless altered, left it doubtful whether the church could teach its doctrine regarding marriage aB the sacWuiient without breaking the law. The opjnidn suggested that the words "true wedlock" snould be altered tp "legal wedlock,'* arid that to "truly and sufficiently married" should be added "according to law." The Archbishop stated that he had informed Mr. Massey that he intended to make a. public statement on the question and "that'l intended to say that if this law is passed as it stands and has the meaning put upon it by the learned counsel whom we have consulted, then I will take the first opportunity of deliberately breaking it. I will encourage my priests and people to disobey it on every possible occasion and, as I intend to pay no fines, you will have to imprison me, and I will state that I know that other bishops, priests and Catholics of the Dominion will take up exactly the same attitude towards the law." "Mr. 'M.assey replied that the counsel's opinion swould be referred to the Crown I/aw office before the Bill waß dealt with by the House. The Archbishop proceeded that they meant precisely what was said, and wouTd defy "aiid disobey any law preventing'Mheiri'irom teaching the -doctrines of., tl)e,.Church..,..They ; did not mean tojaaye the Government or Parliament under;.any misapprehension as .to what the attitude, of CathoHcs* would be in regard to;a law that ( *tl#pked |hcir religious doctrines. ! ;; , ; \' ■'■ "We will resent and defy such a law, if passed, iby every means in our power and, God helping us, well never altyw it to prevail over us." ' * BISHOP CLEARY'S VIEWS. Auckland, Sept. 13. Bishop Cleary said that a statement he intends to publish shortly relates to the application of the Marriage Laws Amendment Bill, if. it passes in its present form to the doctrines of the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and other churches in their official formulas oi laws and the declarations of their divines. The Bishop remarked that the views expressed on the legal position by counsel in Wellington were confirmed by the opinion of an eminent, counsel in Auelv land whom he had consulted. "According to the opinions tints' expressed," he said, "one curious and probably unexpected result of this proposed legislation would be "the placing of a ban upon the Bible and its distribution in this Dominion, inasmuch as a considerable series of extracts contained in the sacred volume would, 'b(oth directly and" by implication,' come Under the penalties, with fine and imprisonment, set forth in sub-clauses 1 and 2 of the Bill. For the same reason, the use of the quotations in question by preachers or others in the course of religious services would render them liable to similar pains and penalties." BISHOP BRODIE'S APPEAL. Wellington, Sept. 13. In making a statement at St. Mary's yesterday on the projected amendment to the marriage legislation of New Zealand, Bishop Brodie said: "In the event of this proposed legislation coming; into effect, there is only one course open to me. I will, not swerve one hair's breadth from the. doctrine or discipline of our holy church, but as soon as possible, should this amendment become law. I will publish and cause to be published in every Catholic ehurch of the diocese, the teachings of the church regarding the sacrament of matrimony, and in my administration will see that the teaching is strictly adhered to. Jf prosecution follows, I will defend myself, even appealing to the highest tribunal of the Empire. If judgment goes against me, I must only, with the help of God, try to bear the punishment of imprisonment, being glad to suffer something for justice's sake, but grieved to think our fair Dominion of New Zealand is the only part of a vast Empire, or even of the known world, where such legislation has been introduced. "In ;this anxious crisis I appeal to my people for their prayers that their bishop and priests will be faithful to their sacred trusts and that our legislators will approach consideration of this momentous question in a spirit of justice and true statesmanship."