CATHOLIC MARRIAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9209, 11 April 1908, Page 7

CATHOLIC MARRIAGES.

« • — THE POPE'S DECREE. WILL COME~INTb FORCE ON EASTER SUNDAY. On Easter Sunday the decree issued by the Pope in regard to the marriages of Roman Catholics will come into force and on and after that date no marriages -will be recognised by the Church unless they conform with th© provisions of th© decee. Some of the provisions in the decree deal with the validity of marriages, some with the lawful celebration of marriages, and some with the sponsalia or mutual promises of future marriages. No marriage of two Catholics, or of two persons, one of whom is or has been a Catholic, will bo regarded as valid unless the marriage is celebrated in the presence of th© pastor of the plaoe where the marriage is contracted, or of the ordinary, that is, the bishop of the diocese, or of some priest delegated by them ; and it must be celebrated in the presence of two witnesses. All marriages at which these conditions are not observed will be regarded as tlandestine. Up to the present time, clandestine marriages in Australasia have been illicit but valid. Parties who contract marriages without the presence of a priest and two witnesses commit a sin, but they become husband and wife. After Easter Sunday all clandestine marriages will be void, and the parties will be no more husband and wife, in the eyes of the Church, than if they had not gone through any ceremony, whatever. ' The decree does not affect the- marriages of those who have never been Catholics, if they contract marriages amongst themselves and not with a Catholic. The provisions of the decree are the same for mixed marriages as for marriages between Catholics. In extraordinary circumstances, as, ifr instance, where the pastor of the place or the ordinary or delegated priest cannot attend, and where this condition of things has continued for a month, a marriage may be validly and lawfully contracted by th© formal consent made by the sponses in the presence of two witnesses. But the married persons and the witnesses are bound to see that the marriage is inscribed in the marriage and baptismal registers l^ept by the pastor of the district. Another exception is in case of imminent danger of death, when tho pastor or ordinary of the place or the delegated priest cannot attend; in that case, in order to provide for the relief of consciences, and, if th© case requires it, for Che legitimation of offspring, marriage "lay be contracted validly and licitly befor© any priest and two witnesses. A marriage will be valid, but illicit, if the pastor does not carry out certain conditions, such as ascertaining the free state of the parties and the time during which they have resided in the district. It is explained that by sponsalia are meant mutual engagements to contract marriage at a future time. Up to the present, there have been three kinds of 1 sponsalia. Private sponsalia, where no one was present except the two persons interested, when the mutual promise was made; publio sponsalia, where the engagement was entered into before parents or others ; and solemn sponsalia, where the engagement was entered into in the presence of pastor and some witnesses, with some religious oeremony. Hitherto all these lands of sponsalia have been valid, and they rendered the marriage of either person with a third person invalid or unlawful unless th© engagement was legitimately dissolved. From . Easter Sunday, however, bo sponsalia will be regarded as valid, or as producing any canonical effect or impediment of marriage, unless the ongagement is in writing and is signed by botn tne contracting persons and by the pastor, or bishop' of the place, or 4 if i/ot by the pastor, by two witnesses. It will not be necessary to contract sponsalia before marriage, but if the parties wish i they may make an informal agreement*