Part III, The Means of Grace: Indulgences

It has already been explained that by the Sacrament of Penaiice the debt of eternal punishment due to the sinner is remitted, but not the temporal. This he must discharge either in this world by sickness, adversity, temptation, persecution, voluntary works of penance, and the like, or in the fires of purgatory after death. This is exemplified by the holy penitent, Mary of Egypt. For seventeen years she led a sinful life; after her conversion she did penance in the desert for seventeen years. Her penance consisted in horrible temptations, in hunger and thirst, in sufferings from exposure to cold and heat. It was the same with other penitents.

God has granted to the Church the power, after the recon ciliation of the sinner with God, of changing the punishments yet remaining due to sin into works of penance, or of remitting them altogether.

Our Lord conferred on St. Peter in particular, and on all the apostles in general, the power to remove whatever hindered the admission of the penitent to heaven. To St. Peter He said : " Whatso ever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed in heaven " (Matt. xvi. 19), and to the apostles He said: "Whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven " (Matt, xviii. 18). Now since mortal sin excludes from heaven permanently, and the temporal penalty of sin temporarily, power to remit both one and the other is vested in the Head of the Church and in the bishops. We read that certain Christians of Corinth, who had been excommunicated for their vices, were pardoned by St. Paul in the name of Christ (2 Cor. ii. 10), after they had testified to the sincerity of their compunction. When the Church remits temporal penalties, she does not cancef them altogether; she supi)lies what is lacking from the treasury of the infinite merits of Christ and of the saints. Many members of the Church have performed penances over and above what was due to their sins, and the store of their merits, owing to the satisfaction

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made by Christ, is so vast in extent, that it far exceeds the penalties due to the sins of all living (St. Thomas Aquinas). In these merits all participate who belong to the communion of saints; and the distribution of them was entrusted by the Son of God to St. Peter, who is the doorkeeper of heaven. Thus it will be seen that no one is actually exempted from the payment of his debt, since what is still due is paid out of the treasury of the Church.

Hence at the time of the great persecutions, the Church used to lay upon repentant sinners public penances for the expiation of the temporal punishment of sin, and afterwards commute them into lesser ones, or remit them altogether, if the penitent manifested a sincere intention of amendment, or a martyr interceded for him.

The ^ Christians of early ages were mostly recent converts from heathenism, and needed rigorous treatment. Public penance gener ally consisted in exclusion from the company of the faithful; the excommunicate were only allowed to kneel in the vestibule of the Church and hear the first portion of the Mass; they were not permitted to receive holy communion, and as a rule, were not absolved until the expiration of their term of penance. During that time on fixed days they had to fast on bread and water. This public penance usually lasted seven years; it was only imposed for grave offences, such as apostasy, giving the Holy Scriptures into the hands of pagans, etc.; for heinous crimes such as murder, the period was still longer. For lesser transgressions a fast of forty days was the ordinary periance. But the Church knew that the design of God is not so^much to chastise the sinner as to detach him from earthly affections and lead him to amend; thus, if the penitent showed by his conduct that his conversion was not superficial, but real, it was deemed unnecessary for him to do further penance. Consequently the penitential works were in some cases partially or wholly remitted. Now since Christians form one body among themselves, the communion of saints, they can make satisfaction for one another ; hence the martyrs pleaded on behalf of the penitents. St. Thomas Aquinas says that what friends do for us we do in a measure for ourselves, since by reciprocity of affection two are made one.

In later times, when public penances were abrogated, the Church permitted the contrite sinner to discharge the debt of temporal punishment due to sin by means of almsdeeds, crusades, or pilgrimages.

Formerly the penitent had to apply for dispensation or mitigation; later on it was offered by the Church to the faithful. In the Middle Ages there were good reasons for remitting penances on the payment of a sum of money, for in those days greed and avarice prevailed, and we know that every vice is best extirpated by its opposite virtue. The money thus collected was expended in the erection of churches and cathedrals" for the most part ; this is how the funds were raised to build St. Peter's at Rome. At the Council of Cleraiont in

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must be omitted or altered, and the prescription as to time, place, etc., must be strictly observed; but the indulgence is not lost on account of some trifling mistake. The indulgence attached to some prayers may be gained each time they are repeated (to ties quoties); in the case of others, only once a day. As instances of places where indulgences may be gained, we may mention the Via Crucis in Jerusalem, and the stations wherever they are canonically erected. The Scala Santa in Rome, the stairway, that is, in Pilate's house up and down which Our Lord was dragged. It consists of twenty-eight marble steps, and was brought from Jerusalem to Rome by the Empress Helena in 326. By ascending this staircase on. one's knees, meditating meanwhile on Our Lord's Passion, an indulgence of nine years for every step may be gained. Large indulgences are also granted for visiting the tomb of the holy apostles, the stations in Rome (churches where remarkable relics are preserved), the Chapel of the Portiuncula at Assisi, the sepulchre of St. James at Compostella, besides many others. As instances of holy things and sacred objects to which indulgences may be attached, we may mention: Crucifixes, medals, rosaries, pictures, statues, etc., provided they are not made of very fragile material. These objects must be blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff, or some priest possessing the powers. The indulgence is lost if the object to which it is attached is more than half destroyed; if, that is to say, the greater part of the beads of a rosary are worn away, or more than half of the crosses have fallen from a set of stations, also if a blest object is sold, or lent to another person for the sake of gaining the indulgence, but not if it is given away after being blessed. More than one indulgence may be attached to the same rosary; a crucifix can likewise be indulgenced for the hour of death, and for the stations; but one and the same prayer will not avail to gain all the indulgences attached to any one object. Partial indulgences may be gained daily; and plenary very frequently if the usual conditions are fulfilled. All crosses or rosaries brought from Pales tine, which have touched the holy places, have the Papal blessing at tached to them. The members of confraternities and some seculai priests have personal indulgences granted to them.

An indulgence is either plenary, when a full and entire remission of all the temporal punishment due to sin is gained, or partial, when only a portion of the temporal punishment is remitted.

Indulgences are ordinarily greater or less in proportion to the prescribed works; for a small work, a small indulgence, for a work of difficulty a large indulgence is granted. Let no one imagine that it is an easy thing to gain a plenary indulgence. For he who retains any undue attachment to earthly things, is not altogether free from the guilt of sin ; nor consequently from the penalty of sin, and he yet needs purification by suffering. Only in as far as the offence against God is hateful to the penitent, does God remit the chastise ment due to His justice.

Plenary indulgences ar« granted by the Church, provided that we approach the sacraments and pray for the Holy Father's

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intention besides performing the prescribed works; sometimes the condition of visiting a church is added.

For instance: For daily acts of the three theological virtues, a plenary indulgence may be gained on any one day in the month on the usual conditions. The same privilege is attached to several other prayers and ejaculations, such as: "Sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore, that I may ever love Thee more and more." Those who are in the habit of going to confession every week can gain any indulgence in the course of the week without going again to confession, except the Jubilee indulgence. More than one plenary indulgence may be gained at one and the same communion, provided the works prescribed for each severally be accomplished. If a visit to a church or public chapel is enjoined, it must be made on a separate occasion. Infirm persons are only required to go to confession; in stead of receiving communion and visiting a church, if these be the conditions, they can gain the indulgence by performing some other work prescribed by their confessor. All who by illness or other unavoidable circumstances are prevented from visiting a church, do not lose the indulgence, if they fulfil all the conditions within their power. Prayers for the intention of the Church are left to every one's discretion. In general, five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys are considered sufficient; they must be repeated audibly, either before or after communion, and offered up for the peace of Christian princes, the extirpation of heresy, and the exaltation of the Church.

The most important plenary indulgences are the Jubilee indulgence, the indulgence of the Portiuncula, and that of the Papal benediction.

The Jubilee indulgence is granted every twenty-five years to the whole Church, and lasts for the whole year. The Jews kept the fiftieth year as a year of jubilee, or rejoicing. We have already explained how this custom was introduced into the Church. The conditions for gaining it are: The reception of the sacraments and the visit to a church, besides at least one day of fasting and an alms. In the Jubilee year all other indulgences for the living are suspended (except that of the Angelus and for the hour of death), but if applied to the dead they continue in force. As a rule, the Jubilee indulgence can only be gained once, and that for one's self; but sometimes it is otherwise. Occasionally an extra Jubilee is proclaimed by the Sovereign Pontiff under special circumstances, such as his accession to the Papal throne, the opening of a council, etc. The indulgence of the Portiuncula can be gained repeatedly on the second of August, and on the evening before ; as often, in fact, as any one who has been to confession and communion visits the Portiuncula Chapel, or any other public chapel of the Franciscans or Poor Clares, and prays for the intentions of the Holy Father. The indulgence originated in thiswise: While St. Francis was praying in his favorite church near Assisi, Our Lord appeared to him, with His blessed Mother and several saints. Francis entreated Our Lord to grant a plenary indulgence to all who after approaching the sacraments, should visit that church. Our Lord consented, bidding him go to the Pope, who would ratify

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must be omitted or altered, and the prescription as to time, place, etc., must be strictly observed; but the indulgence is not lost on account of some trifling mistake. The indulgence attached to some prayers may be gained each time they are repeated (toties quoties) ; in the case of others, only once a day. As instances of places where indulgences may be gained, we may mention the Via Crucis in Jerusalem, and the stations wherever they are canonically erected. The Scala Santa in Home, the stairway, that is, in Pilate's house up and down which Our Lord was dragged. It consists of twenty-eight marble steps, and was brought from Jerusalem to Rome by the Empress Helena in 326. By ascending this staircase on. one's knees, meditating meanwhile on Our Lord's Passion, an indulgence of nine years for every step may be gained. Large indulgences are also granted for visiting the tomb of the holy apostles, the stations in Rome (churches where remarkable relics are preserved), the Chapel of the Portiuncula at Assisi, the sepulchre of St. James at Compostella, besides many others. As instances of holy things and sacred objects to which indulgences may be attached, we may mention: Crucifixes, medals, rosaries, pictures, statues, etc., provided they are not made of very fragile material. These objects must be blessed by the Sovereign Pontiff, or some priest possessing the powers. The indulgence is lost if the object to which it is attached is more than half destroyed; if, that is to say, the greater part of the beads of a rosary are worn away, or more than half of the crosses have fallen from a set of stations, also if a blest object is sold, or lent to another person for the sake of gaining the indulgence, but not if it is given away after being blessed. More than one indulgence may be attached to the same rosary; a crucifix can likewise be iiidulgenced for the hour of death, and for the stations; but one and the same prayer will not avail to gain all the indulgences attached to any one object. Partial indulgences may be gained daily; arid plenary very frequently if the usual conditions are fulfilled. All crosses or rosaries brought from Pales tine, which have touched the holy places, have the Papal blessing at tached to them. The members of confraternities and some seculai priests have personal indulgences granted to them.

An indulgence is either plenary, when a full and entire remission of all the temporal punishment due to sin is gained, or partial, when only a portion of the temporal punishment is remitted.

Plenary indulgences ar^ granted by the Church, provided that we approach the sacraments and pray for the Holy Father's

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intention besides performing the prescribed works; sometimes the condition of visiting a church is added.

For instance: For daily acts of the three theological virtues, a plenary indulgence may be gained on any one day in the month on the usual conditions. The same privilege is attached to several other prayers and ejaculations, such as: " Sweetest Heart of Jesus, I implore, that I may ever love Thee more and more." Those who are in the habit of going to confession every week can gain any indulgence in the course of the week without going again to confession, except the Jubilee indulgence. More than one plenary indulgence may be gained at one and the same communion, provided the works prescribed for each severally be accomplished. If a visit to a church or public chapel is enjoined, it must be made on a separate occasion. Infirm persons are only required to go to confession; in stead of receiving communion and visiting a church, if these be the conditions, they can gain the indulgence by performing some other work prescribed by their confessor. All who by illness or other unavoidable circumstances are prevented from visiting a church, do not lose the indulgence, if they fulfil all the conditions within their power. Prayers for the intention of the Church are left to every one's discretion. In general, five Our Fathers and five Hail Marys are considered sufficient; they must be repeated audibly, either before or after communion, and offered up for the peace of Christian princes, the extirpation of heresy, and the exaltation of the Church.

The most important plenary indulgences are the Jubilee indulgence, the indulgence of the Portiuncula, and that of the Papal benediction.

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the privilege. Francis accordingly repaired to Rome; the Holy Father granted the indulgence, fixing it for the second of August. Later Pontiffs extended it to all public chapels of the Franciscan Order, and some others. This indulgence can only be gained once for one's self; if gained more often, it must be applied to some one else. The communion need not necessarily be made in a church of the Order. A plenary indulgence may be gained by all who, after confession and communion, and prayer for the intention of the Church, receive the Papal benediction. Previous to the year 1870 this used to be solemnly given after High Mass on great festivals from the balcony of St. Peter's. Bishops and priests are now and again authorized to give the Papal blessing to their flocks on special occasions, such as the close of a mission.

A plenary indulgence may be gained in the hour of death by those who, having received the sacraments and invoked the holy name, receive the Papal blessing, or keep beside them some object blessed by the Holy Father; also by the members of most confraternities, and by all who have daily recited the three acts of faith, hope and charity, or some other similarly indulgenced prayer.

If a sick man, desirous of gaining a plenary indulgence, should find it impossible to receive the sacraments, he may at least make an act of contrition; if he cannot utter the name of Jesus with his lips, he can at any rate invoke it in his heart. In any case perfect conformity to the will of God is essential. The majority of priests are empowered to give the papal benediction to the dying. Those who have received the necessary faculties can indulgence crosses, medals and the like for the hour of death. It is enough if the faithful keep objects thus blessed in their houses, to enable them to gain the indulgence. Indulgences for the hour of death are also attached to membership of various confraternities. They may also be gained by making acts of faith, hope, and charity daily, in one's own words or otherwise. The same applies to several other short prayers, such as " Angel of God," etc. Indulgences obtained in the hour of death are purely personal; they cannot even be applied to the souls in purgatory. As the dying cannot, with the best of wills, perform works of penance, the Church almost entirely exempts them from the obligation of trying to discharge the temporal debt of punishment due to their sins.

The partial indulgences granted by the Church are generally a quadragena, or forty days; or for a period of a hundred days, a year, five or seven years, very rarely for thirty or a hundred years. Those fixed periods do not mark the number of days or years by which the purgatorial fires are abridged; they do but indicate that as much of the temporal punishment of sin is remitted as would have been remitted hv a corresponding period of the canonical penances formerly imposed on penitents.

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The Pope alone has power to grant indulgences which are for the whole Church ; for in him alone jurisdiction over the whole Church is vested, and he is the steward of the Church's treasures.

Bishops have the power to grant partial indulgences, but only for those in their own diocese; just as secular magistrates can only judge cases which come within the sphere of their jurisdiction. Bishops are sometimes authorized by the Holy See to grant indulgences of a year, or forty days, on such occasions as the dedication of a church.

Indulgences may also be applied by way of suffrage to the suffering souls in purgatory, if this be expressly stated respecting the indulgence; a plenary indulgence is gained for them every time the holy sacrifice of the Mass is offered on a privileged altar.

The communion of saints enables us to assist the holy souls in purgatory by applying to them our good works; those good works, that is, to which the remission of temporal punishment is attached. If we desire to gain an indulgence for the faithful departed we must see that we are ourselves in a state of grace. " Let him who would help to deliver the holy souls from purgatory," says St. Francis Xavier, " first see that he delivers- his own soul from hell." The application of indulgences to the souls of the departed is by way of suffrage, not of absolution. It is by no means certain that the in dividual for whom a plenary indulgence is gained will be forthwith released from purgatory; the amount of punishment thereby remitted to him rests entirely with God to determine. The indulgence of the privileged altar consists in this, that whenever Mass is celebrated at that particular altar a plenary indulgence is given from the treasures of the Church to one of the souls in purgatory. In every cathedral there is one such altar, and in many parish churches or churches of an Order; the altars thus privileged are generally indicated by the inscription altare privilegiatum, and black vestments must be used when Mass is said at one of them, if the rubrics allow of it on that day. The privilege must be renewed by application to the bishop every seven years. The indulgence can be gained for one individual only, and for that one the Mass must be offered, but the priest may include in his intention other persons deceased. The intention of the priest is not necessary to the gaining of the indulgence; it will'be seen that bv no other means is a plenary indulgence so surely gained as by this, since it depends entirely upon ' the offering of the holy sacrifice, not upon the spiritual state of any individual. But whether the Mass celebrated at the privileged altar effects the complete deliverance of the soul from the pains of purgatory cannot be known, as it depends solely on the mercy of God. Priests who have made the heroic act of charity for the holy souls have the same privilege in their own person.

The graining of indulgences is most salutary (Council of Trent, 25), because we thereby keep far from us temporal evils, and are stimulated to the accomplishment of good works.

The indulgences we gain avert from us sickness, calamities, temptations, etc., which, if no indulgence be gained, come upon us

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as the temporal punishment of sin^ Thus those who neglect this practice, may be* compared to a traveller who although he might reach his destination by a short and easy route, prefers to take a long and toilsome road ; he is his own worst enemy. Some people take exception at the doctrine of indulgences, but this is because they do not understand it; others condemn it, because of the abuses in the Middle Ages. Was there ever a good and holy thing which was not misused by the wicked ? The abuse of a thing does not diminish its usefulness. Therefore do not despise indulgences, for by despising them many have fallen into error and perdition.

5. Extreme Unction

Christ is the Good Samaritan, for by the hands of Hi& representative, the priest, He pours into the wounds of the sick oil to effect his spiritual and physical cure.

In administering Extreme Unction the priest anoints the Christian who is in danger of death with the holy oils upon the organs of his five senses, and prays over him; by means of which the spiritual and not unfrequently the bodily malady of the sick man is cured.

The priest anoints the sick man with consecrated oil in the form of a cross on his five senses, which have been instrumental to his sins (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands and feet) ; at every unction he repeats the following form of prayer : " Through this holy unction and through His most tender mercy, may the Lord pardon thee whatever sins thou hast committed by seeing, hearing, etc." If the sick man is actually expiring, the priest only anoints his forehead; but he continues to anoint the other parts, so long as life has not departed. Extreme Unction is also called the last sacrament, because it is generally the last which is administered to the dying.

Extreme Unction is mentioned by St. James in his epistle.

We read : " Is any man sick among you ? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord ; and the prayer of faith shall save ' the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up : and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him" (Jas. v. 14, 15). Pope Innocent I., in the fourth century, expressly declared that these words referred to the Sacrament of Extreme Unction; and in the sixth century St. Csesarius, Bishop of Aries, exhorts Christians in case of serious illness, to receive the Lord's body and be anointed with oil for their bodily restoration and the forgiveness of their sins. The sacred unction of the sick was instituted by Our Lord as a true sacrament of the New Law (Council of Trent, 14, 4). It confers grace, remits sin, and comforts the sick.

Extreme Unction acts spiritually as oil does materially; it strengthens, heals, and aids the soul to attain eternal salvation.

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Oil strengthens the hody (pugilists or wrestlers are rubbed with oil to give them greater power, and render it difficult for their adversary to grasp them) ; it possesses a healing power (witness the Good Samaritan, who poured oil on the wounds of the man who had fallen among thieves) ; and it imparts suppleness and flexibility.

Extreme Unction strengthens the sick because it confers on him grace to bear more easily the inconveniences and pains of sickness, and enables him more readily to resist temptation of all kinds.

A complete change is sometimes wrought in the sick by the reception of this sacrament; whereas they were previously impatient and in great dread of death, they become tranquil and patient and resigned to the will of God. At the close of life the adversary of our souls strains all the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly if he can, and make us fall from our trust in the mercy of God (Council of Trent, 14). Extreme Unction banishes the demon. It is recorded of St. Eleazar that on the near approach of death, his countenance became distorted, and he cried out that the devil was tormenting him; but after he had been anointed, peace and joy returned to him.

Extreme Unction is for the healing of the soul, and often times of the body; it effects the remission of mortal sins, which through infirmity of mind or body the sick man has not been able to confess, as well as the remission of some temporal punish ment. And besides, at times it obtains bodily health, when expedient for the welfare of the soul.

Extreme Unction compensates for all that, through no fault of his own, the sick man left incomplete in the Sacrament of Penance. It is thus the completion of the Sacrament of Penance, or the penance of the sick. By reason of physical and mental weakness the sick are rarely capable of making a good confession or doing penance; there fore the Church deals leniently with them, and by this unction commends them to the mercy of God. This anointing cleanses away sin, if there be any still to be expiated, and cancels a part of the penalty of sin, in proportion to the contrition and devotion where with the sacrament is received. Extreme Unction often obtains restoration to health. If God foresees that the sick man, if he recover, will make a good use of the remainder of his days for his spiritual advancement, He restores him to health, granting him a reprieve, as it were, that he may prepare himself better for death. But if He foresees that it will be otherwise, He takes him out of the world. As a rule, the sick experience some alleviation after receiving Extreme Unction; this is not to be explained on natural grounds; the peace of mind produced by confession and reconciliation with God acts beneficially upon the body. And in some cases by the interposition of divine power health is restored when human skill could do nothing. How foolish are those who imagine that if they receive Extreme Unction it will be their death warrant !

Extreme Unction facilitates our salvation, by increasing in us sanctifying grace and divine charity.

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In common with all the other sacraments Extreme Unction imparts a higher degree of sanctifying grace. This is of more importance to us at our death than at any other moment, for the degree of our future felicity depends on the degree of sanctifying grace we possess. And the greater our love of God, the more capable shall we be of the enjoyment of eternal bliss. Thus this holy sacrament cleanses away all that is an impediment to our eternal salvation.

Extreme Unction can only be administered to persons who are in danger of death; and they ought to receive it without de lay for the sake both of their physical and spiritual health.

Only in cases of serious illness, that is, when there is danger of death, can the sick receive Extreme Unction. A soldier cannot receive it before going into action, nor a criminal condemned to death. Exception may be made in regard to very aged persons; their advanced age renders them constantly liable to death. The administration of the holy oils should not be postponed until the last moment, for if the sick man be unconscious, they will profit him little ; since, as has been already remarked, the utility of this sacrament to the soul depends upon the contrition and devotion with which it is received. And the body cannot profit by it, if the vital spark be all but extinct. It is little use calling out the fire engine when the house is almost burnt down. He who enters upon the journey from time to eternity without fortifying himself with the last sacraments, is like a traveller who starts on his way with an empty purse. Nor can there be contempt of so great a sacrament without heinous sin and an in jury to the Holy Ghost Himself (Council of Trent, 14, 9).

Those who have not yet received the Sacrament of Penance cannot receive Extreme Unction since it is the completion of penance.

To this class belong idiots, and children who have not yet attained the age of reason. It must not, however, be supposed that this includes all children under seven, for children of five years of age have been known on their death-bed to ask for a priest, because they were conscious of having sinned against their parents.

Extreme Unction can only be administered to the sick once in the same illness; but if the sick person recovers temporarily, and then has a relapse, he may be anointed again.

Before being anointed the sick man ought to confess his sins, and receive holy communion ; and afterwards the Papal bless ing is generally given to him.

Confession should precede Extreme Unction, because the recipient of the sacrament must be in a state of grace. Extreme Unction is a remedy; and as medicine is for the living, not the dead, so this sacra ment is of no utility to those who are spiritually dead. Every priest who has been duly authorized by the bishop, may give the Papal benediction with a plenary indulgence, provided he makes use of the pro-

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scribed formula. The sick man must call upon the holy name of Jesus (the priest usually repeats some ejaculatory prayer to him, in which the name of Jesus occurs) verbally, if he can still speak, if not, mentally, otherwise the indulgence is not gained, and the crucifix is offered him to be kissed.

It is the duty of relatives, and of those who are in attendance upon the sick, to see that he receives the last sacraments in due time.

This responsibility rests partly with the doctor, who, as a matter of course, ought to apprise the friends of a sick person of his condition when it becomes serious. Catholics ought therefore if possible to secure the services of a Christian physician. Sometimes the at tendants on a sick man fear to agitate him by mentioning the last sacraments to him. This is indeed mistaken kindness, for they cannot thereby retard the approach of death. Such false friends resemble people who do not warn a blind man that he is nearing a precipice, lest they should frighten him. Their cowardice will give them much to answer for. The friends of the sick man should set the room in order, and have everything that is needed in readiness for the administration of the last sacraments. A table should be covered with a white linen cloth, wTith a crucifix and two lighted tapers upon it, besides a vessel containing holy water, because the priest has to sprinkle both the chamber and the bystanders, and also a glass containing a little clean water, for the priest to wash his fingers and give the ablutions to the sick man after communion. Some cotton wool must also be provided to wipe the parts that have been anointed. While the sick man makes his confession let all leave the room, as the priest may have to speak above a whisper.

6. Holy Orders

At the time of His ascension, Our Lord lifted up His hands, blessed His apostles, and sent them forth into the world to preach the Gospel and dispense the sacraments (Luke xxiv. 50). The bishop does much the same when he ordains priests. (The imposition of hands signifies that something is given, since gifts are distributed with the hand.)

At the administration of Holy Orders the bishop lays his hands on the candidates for ordination, calls down upon them the Holy Gliost, anoints their hands, and presents the sacred vessels to them.

They thereby receive, in addition to a plenitude of grace, the sacerdotal powers; more especially the power to offer the holy sacrifice and to forgive sins.

Holy Orders are administered during the celebration of Mass. The candidates for ordination first prostrate themselves upon their faces before the altar ; then the bishop lays his hands upon the head

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of each one severally, the priests present doing the same. He next arrays them in the sacerdotal vestments; the Veni Sancte Spiritus is sung, and he anoints the hands of each one in turn with the sacred chrism in the form of a cross. He then gives the chalice and paten into their hands, thereby conferring on them the power to offer the holy sacrifice; after which he addresses to them the words of Our Lord : " Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, etc." Finally the newly-ordained are required to promise respect and obedience to the bishop. The ceremony of anointing the hands, and presenting the sacred vessels is only an accessory; it was not in use until the ninth century, and now has no place in the Greek ritual. Not only supernatural powers, but graces are imparted in the Sacrament of Orders. By this sacred ordinance the Holy Ghost is given (Council of Trent, 13, 2).

The Sacrament of Holy Orders was administered in the time of the apostles.

We read that the apostles consecrated Paul and Barnabas with prayer and imposition of hands (Acts xiii. 3), and in like manner St. Paul consecrated Timothy (2 Tim. i. 6). St. Augustine speaks of Orders as a sacrament when he inveighs against the Donatists, who asserted that while Baptism confers what can never be lost, the right of administering Baptism may be lost. " Both," he declares, " are sacraments, and can only be received once." The Sacrament of Orders was unquestionably instituted by Our Lord at the Last Supper.

The office of the priesthood, to which a man is raised by Holy Orders, is one of great dignity, but likewise one of no slight difficulty and of vast responsibility.

The priesthood is the highest dignity upon earth. It surpasses that of kings and emperors, nay, even of the angels themselves. " For," as St. John Chrysostom remarks, " the power of kings is only over the bodies of men, whereas that of the priest is over their souls." On the priest are conferred powers not accorded to angels; for to what angel was it ever given to convert bread into the body of the Lord by his word? and not all the angels together could grant pardon for a single sin. By his office a priest is only concerned with heavenly things; he stands between God and man; he lays our petition before the Most High and conveys divine graces to us. He is a mediator between God and man, the angel of the Lord of hosts (Mai. ii. 7), the messenger of God to make known His will to men. He is God's representative, His ambassador, His plenipotentiary; therefore whatsoever honor we show to the priest, we. pay to God Himself. Does not Our Lord Himself say : " He that heareth you, heareth Me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me " (Luke x. 16) ? In fact, St. Peter Damian says, God actually follows the priest, for what he declares on earth is ratified in heaven; and at his word the Second Person of the Holy Trinity becomes flesh beneath his hand as at the Incarnation. Hence we do well to address the priest as " your reverence." St. Francis of Assisi used to say that if he met an angel and a priest at the same time he should salute the priest first. The sacerdotal office is also one of great difficulty ; the obligations resting

Ttie Sacraments. 645

upon the priest are neither few nor light. He has to recite the breviary daily, which cannot be done under an hour and a quarter; he is pledged to lifelong celibacy ; he has to visit the sick at any hour of the day or night when he may be called upon; he has to take the last sacraments to the dying, however contagious the disease from which they are suffering; he has often to sit for long hours in the confessional, to fast late, on account of the late Masses; he is bound to renounce all worldly amusements (such as dancing), to be liberal towards the poor, and much more besides. Priests ought to be the salt of the earth (Matt. v. 13). Nor must it be overlooked that zealous priests are in the present day frequently the objects of suspicion and persecution, and their apostolic labors are ill-rewarded. The votaries of the world are inclined to treat their priests like the dog in the fable, who bit the hand that was stretched out to save him from drowning. The priestly office is besides one of immense responsibility. If the wolf comes and rends the sheep, the shepherd is taken to task. So it is with the priests ; they have to render an account of the souls committed to their charge (Heb. xiii. 17). " The duties of those who will have to give account for souls," says St. Bernard, " are heavy and onerous." On the day of his ordination St. John Chrysostom said : " I now need your prayers a thousandfold more, lest in the Day of Judgment I should, be cast into the exterior darkness."

Since the sacerdotal office is in itself an office of such great dignity, we owe profound respect to the priest on account of his office, even if his life should not correspond to it.

Nothing can take away the dignity attaching to the priestly office, not even an ungodly life; therefore we ought always to enter tain great reverence for it. Even pagan monarchs have been known to manifest deep veneration for the priests of the true God. When Alexander the Great was about to make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the high priest went out to meet him with all the priests arrayed in festal vestments, in order to ask a favor of him. Alexander dismounted from his horse, and instantly granted all that he asked. And when the general of the army expressed his surprise, Alexander replied : " It is not the high priest to whom I pay homage, but to the true God, Whose servant he is." Attila also, the terrible King of the Huns, when advancing upon Eome to plunder the city, allowed himself to be prevailed upon by Pope Leo the Great, to desist from his purpose. Yet almighty God permits His priests to be encompassed with infirmity, in order that they may have the more compassion on them that are ignorant and that err (Heb. v. 2). St. Francis of Sales said of priests : " I will close my eyes to their faults, and only see in them God's representatives." How blameworthy are those who publish far and wide the misdeeds of a priest ! " Are we," asks St. Augustine, "to think slightingly of Christ and the apostles, because there was a Judas among them? Who will show me any body of men upon earth who are without faults ? "

Since the office of the priesthood is one of much labor and grave responsibilities, no man ought to take Holy Orders who is not called to the sacerdotal state.

646 The Means of Grace.

Let no man become a priest who feels no attraction for the sacred ministry; who has no longing to save souls, who leads an irregular life, or who only thinks of the priesthood as a means of gaining a living easily, and enjoying a comfortable competence. Parents are greatly to blame who force their sons to take Orders without a vocation, for those who enter the priesthood without a true vocation are unhappy and discontented all their life long. They neglect the duties of their calling, give scandal, and finally too often lose their souls. For this reason many eminent saints positively refused to receive Holy Orders or to be raised to the episcopate. St. Francis of Assisi remained a deacon to the end of his days. St. Cyprian concealed himself when he was to be appointed Bishop 01 Carthage; St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil acted in a similar manner. They all considered themselves unworthy of the dignity offered them, and only accepted it when they recognized it to be the will of God that they should do so. Almighty God calls to the priesthood whom He will ; witness Our Lord's words to the apostles : " You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you " (John xv. 16).

The Sacrament of Holy Orders only confers the perpetual power, not the right, to exercise the functions of a priest. The newly ordained cannot therefore make use in any place of their sacerdotal powers, until they have received ecclesiastical authorization.

The qualification for the sacred ministry consists in the trans mission of the powers appertaining to the sacerdotal office : those of a teacher, a priest and a pastor. In the Old Testament the priestly powers were hereditary in Aaron's family (Exod. xxviii.) ; in the New Testament they are handed down by spiritual descent by means of Holy Orders. Besides these powers, the priest receives at ordination abundant graces belonging to his state. Outwardly he may appear the same, but inwardly he is a changed man. An indelible character is imprinted upon his soul by that ordinance; the powers he has received can never be lost, into whatever sins he may fall. He who has once been a priest cannot again become a layman (Council of Trent, 23, 4) ; a priest who has apostatized and been reconciled to the Church is not re-ordained. All the sacerdotal acts of a priest who has seceded from the Church are valid, only he cannot forgive sins (except in the case of the dying, when no other priest can be had). Priests of the schismatic Greek Church are not or dained again, if they return to the allegiance of the Catholic Church ; but the Protestant clergy most certainly are. Ecclesiastical juris diction is given to the priest by his bishop; the bishops receive it from the Pope. The secular authorities have no power to grant ecclesiastical jurisdiction, for it is not theirs to give. Even in the time of the apostles the deacons were not nominated by the people; the apostles ordained those who had been chosen and appointed them to the work (Acts vi. 3, 6). St. Timothy was consecrated to the episcopate by the imposition of the hands of the priesthood (1 Tim. i. 14). Consequently the apostles called themselves the "ministers of Christ" (1 Cor. iv. 1). Any one who should attempt to exercise sacerdotal functions without the authorization of the bishop, would.

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as Our Lord says, be a thief and a robber, because " he entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth in some other way" (John x. 1). A priest must have faculties for hearing confessions, from the bishop of the diocese where he happens to be. This is separate from the pastoral office. A catechist, or teacher, who imparts religious instruction should also have the episcopal authorization. Any one who should be so daring as to exercise any priestly functions without having been admitted to Holy Orders or without episcopal authorization, would, in Catholic countries, be punished by the secular government; at any rate, terrible chastisements would fall on him from God. King Ozias presumed, in spite of the warning of the priests, to burn incense on the altar of incense; he was immediately struck with leprosy, and was a leper until the day of his death (2 Par. xxvi.). In the time of Moses, Core, with two hundred and fifty of the leading men of the synagogue, rebelled against Moses and presumed to offer incense in the tabernacle; they were destroyed by fire from the Lord, and the earth swallowed up the three ringleaders (Numb, xvi.).

No one can be admitted to priest's Orders who has not at tained the age of twenty-four years (Council of Trent, 23, 12).

The Holy See has the right of dispensing candidates for the priesthood if they are within twenty months of the required age. Besides the prescribed ages, those who are to be raised to the priest hood must possess the following qualifications: They must have the knowledge suited to, and necessary for, the due discharge of their functions; they must be conspicuous for piety and chastity; they must have been born in wedlock and be free from physical defects which might excite derision in others. Men who have been married twice are disqualified for the priesthood, although those who have been married once may, under certain conditions, be received. All men cannot be priests (Eph. iv. 11; 1 Cor. xii. 29). Yet we frequently find all the faithful spoken of as priests (1 Pet. ii. 9), inasmuch as they ought to accomplish to the glory of God good works which are in a certain measure a spiritual oblation; they are priests inasmuch as they immolate themselves in the service of God as spiritual victims. In the same sense the faithful in general are spoken of as kings, because they ought to rule over their fleshly lusts.

Six other orders of ministry precede the priesthood, four lesser and two greater.

By these several and divers Orders, as by certain steps, advance is made unto the priesthood (Council of Trent, 23, 4). This is to emphasize the dignity of the priesthood. For the same reason a fixed period of time must intervene between the reception of the different degrees of higher orders. The first preparation for Orders is the reception of the tonsure, by which a man is taken into the ranks of the clergy, and becomes a cleric, no longer _ a layman. In giving the tonsure, the bishop cuts off some of the hair from the top of the candidate's head. After this the four minor Orders are given, which impart to him who receives them the right to minister,

648 The Means of Grace.

to the priest by virtue of his office. The first of the three greater Orders, the subdiaconate, follows. This was formerly reckoned among the minor Orders, but is classed by the Council of Trent among the major Orders; it confers the right to arrange everything in the sanctuary, and serve the priest at the altar, and pledges the recipient to celibacy and to the recitation of the breviary. The bishop may empower an ordinary priest to administer the tonsure and the four minor Orders, but not so the greater.

There are three degrees in the Sacrament of Orders: The consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops. These three constitute but one sacrament.

The second of the greater Orders is the diaconate, which was instituted by the apostles for the relief of the poor. It confers the power to preach, to baptize, and to dispense holy communion. The three most celebrated deacons mentioned in the annals of the Church are St. Stephen, who was stoned by the Jews; St. Lawrence, who was broiled upon a gridiron in Rome; and St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, who bore in his body the sacred stigmata. One year after the acceptance of the diaconate follows ordination proper, the priesthood, whereby the power is given to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, and to forgive sins. There is one degree higher than the priesthood, and that is the episcopate. By this power is conferred to ordain priests, to administer Confirmation and to rule the Church of God. For the consecration of a bishop three bishops must take part. These three ordinations form but one sacrament. The consecration of deacons appertains virtually to the Sacrament of Holy Orders, because it confers an inferior part of the sacerdotal powers, and is administered with imposition of hands and prayer. St. Paul mentions deacons together with bishops and priests ; the Fathers speak of them with the utmost reverence, as the " ministers of God," and the Council of Trent reckons them of the ecclesiastical hierarchy (Council of Trent, 23, 6). The consecration of priests appertains to the Sacrament of Orders, because by it the greater part of the sacerdotal powers are conferred. The consecration of bishops is the completion of the Sacrament of Orders ; by it the plenitude of the sacerdotal power is communicated. The principal distinction between a bishop and a priest is that the former can ordain priests and the latter cannot. When at the Council of Alexandria in 319, the Arians accused St. Athanasius, who was then bishop of that town, of having treated a priest named Ischyras with undue severity, the Synod dismissed the charge on the ground that Ischyras was not a priest, since he had been ordained by a priest, not a bishop.

It is the duty of the faithful to pray God to send them good priests.

Our Lord says : " Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He send lorth laborers into His harvest" (Matt. ix. 38). Remember that a priest is the salvation or the perdition of his flock. In the Old Testa ment we read that when other scourges were of no avail to turn the

The Sacraments. 649

people, hardened in sin, from their evil ways, God sent upon them the heaviest scourge of all, wicked and corrupt priests. Let us therefore make it our continual prayer, that we may have good priests. The Ember days are appointed for this purpose. Special prayer should be offered to the Holy Ghost, for unless a priest is enlightened by the Holy Spirit we may apply to him the words : " If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the pit" (Matt. xv. 14).

MATRIMONY. The Institution and Nature of Matrimony.

What food is to the individual, matrimony is to humanity in general. For as food serves to maintain the life of the individual, so marriage serves to maintain the life of the human race. Since the principal object of marriage, the right training of children, can only be attained when a man and a woman are united together by an in dissoluble bond, the wise Creator in the beginning only created two human beings, saying : " They two shall be one in flesh " (Gen. ii. 24).

God Himself instituted matrimony in the beginning of the world, for the procreation of the human race, and the mutual assistance of husband and wife.

Matrimony was instituted by God for the propagation of the hu man race ; for He said to our first parents : " Increase and multiply and fill the earth " (Gen. i. 28). St. Francis of Sales calls matrimony the nursery-ground of Christianity, destined to fill the earth with believers, and complete the number of the elect in heaven. It was also instituted for the mutual support of the parties contracting it, for God said before Eve was created : " It is not good for man to be alone, let us make him a help like unto himself" (Gen. ii. 18). The woman being the weaker, needs some one on whom to lean; the man needs some one to care for him. The man is characterized by greater strength and energy ; he seeks a sphere of activity in the world. The woman's nature is cast in a softer mould ; her sphere of work is beside the domestic hearth. Thus the two complete each other, and each acts beneficially on the other. Matrimony has also a third object, that of preventing the sin of which the Apostle speaks in the first Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. vii. 2). He who would set marriage aside, would give free rein to impurity. Many take a low view of marriage ; they consider it as affording a legitimate means of indulging their lusts. Such persons will not be happy or contented, and will neglect the duties of their state. The happiness of matrimony depends to a great extent on taking an exalted view of its object.

Matrimony is a divine and by no means a human institution.

It is because matrimony was ordained of God that the Church calls it a "holy and godly state." The opinion of the Manichees, that marriage was to be rejected, was condemned by the Church.

650 The Means of Grace.

Even the most uncivilized nations considered matrimony to be a divine institution, for they practised religious ceremonies of some kind 011 the occasion of a marriage, offering sacrifices or prayers. God Himself appointed the laws of marriage first through Moses and after wards by Our Lord.

Christian marriage is a contract between man and woman, binding' them to an undivided and indissoluble partnership, and conferring on them at the same time grace to fulfil all the duties required of them.

Marriage is therefore not merely a contract; it is at the same time an act by which grace is conferred. This contract is not concluded in the presence of a minister of the Church solely for the sake of obtaining the ecclesiastical benediction upon the betrothed couple, but in order that they may be truly united together before God in wedlock. It was this covenant, entered into in presence of a minister of the Church, which Our Lord raised to the dignity of a sacrament. Marriage contracted without the solemnities required by the Church in all countries where the decree of the Council of Trent has been duly promulgated is invalid and null (Council of Trent, 24, 1). A contract which is invalid cannot become a sacrament, any more than wine, if it be not really wine, can be converted in the Mass into the blood of Christ. Matrimony is a type of the union between Christ and the Church (Eph. v. 32). As the Church, the Bride of Christ is one, so the man has but one wife. As Christ and the Church are in separably united, so the union of the married is perpetual and indissoluble. As the union of Christ and the Church is a covenant of grace, so also is the union of husband and wife. Christ is the Head of the Church, and the man is the head of the woman. The Church is subject to Christ, so the wife is obedient to the husband. Christ and the Church are animated by one spirit, and so it should be with husband and wife. Christ never abandons the Church, and the Church can never be unfaithful to Christ; so married people must never be unfaithful to one another.

Matrimony is declared to be a sacrament by St. Paul, and the early Fathers of the Church.

St. Paul calls matrimony a great sacrament, because it is typical of the union of Christ with the Church (Eph. v. 32), a union by which grace is imparted. St. Augustine says that the superiority of marriage among the people of God consists in the sanctity of the sacra ment. " The heathens," says St. John Chrysostom, " estimated the happiness of marriage by the number of children, whereas the Christian considers rather the sanctity of the sacrament." Some of the Fathers are of opinion that Christ raised matrimony to a sacrament at the marriage of Cana. At any rate the Church expressly declares that it is truly and properly one of the seven sacraments of the evangelical law instituted by Christ (Council of Trent, 24, 1).

Civil marriage is to be distinguished from Christian marriage, inasmuch as it is no sacrament, and consequently in the sight of God no true and real marriage for Catholics.

The Sacraments. 651

Civil marriage may be said to have originated with Luther, for he prepared the way for the State to legislate concerning marriage. What he began, the French revolution completed; for marriage was then declared to be a civil contract, concluded before a government official. Civil marriage is obligatory or compulsory when, as is the case in some countries, the marriage is otherwise not recognized by the State; it is optional, when the parties are free to choose whether the ceremony shall be civil or religious, as in America; finally it is unavoidable, if on account of the priest being debarred from marry ing them through political reasons, or on other obvious grounds, the persons desirous of being married cannot be united otherwise than by the secular authorities. Civil marriage is not a sacrament, because it is not contracted in the manner ordained by God and the Church; it is nothing more or less than a legal form, which must be gone through in order that the marriage may be recognized by the State, and Catholics must submit to it, if there is no other means of having their union recognized by the State. They should, however, see that the ecclesiastical ceremony takes place as soon after as possible; for until their marriage has been solemnized by the Church, they are bound to live apart, as in the sight of God they are not really husband and wife. Catholics who contract a civil marriage and are not after wards married in a church, cannot obtain absolution, and are excluded from the sacraments until they obtain the sanction of God and of the Church upon their union, or give it up altogether. Catholics who prefer civil marriage when it is optional, or content themselves with it when it is unavoidable, are excommunicated. The Holy See condemns civil marriages in no measured terms; Pope Pius IX. declares that the union of man and woman, if not a sacrament, is a shameful concubinage, although perfectly legal according to the civil code.*

Civil marriage has disastrous results for the State, for it undermines faith, authority, and morals.

The Holy Father asserts civil marriage to be a fatal( institution. To render it compulsory is to overthrow the law of God, for it is tantamount to asserting that Christian marriage as ordained by God is invalid, that a union blessed by the Church is contrary to law. What would be said if. stealing, or any other crime forbidden by the divine command, were enforced by the law of the land? Kebellion such as this against God cannot fail to undermine faith in God and respect for His commandments ; and experience proves that .the government which undermines the divine authority brings about its own downfall. Civil marriages are also detrimental to morality.

* What is said in this paragraph respecting the invalidity of civil or clandestine marriage is only true in those countries where the decree ilametti of the Council of Trent has been duly promulgated. In England, bcotland, and most of the United States of America marriage contracted between two baptized Catholics without the sanction of the Church is a valid marriage and a sacrament although an unlawful and sacrilegious act. In all cases where there is any doubt about the validity of a marriage the parish priest or the bishop of the diocese should be consulted.

652 The Means of Grace.

an easy matter for persons who have been married by the registrar; on a comparatively slight disagreement or offence they are separated, each being free to contract a second marriage. What is the consequence? The flood-gates are opened to admit unbridled license, the so-called free-love advocated by the Socialist. This is proved by the number of divorce cases following on the introduction of civil marriage; nor need we wonder, for in a civil marriage no promise of mutual love, no vow of fidelity is required from the contracting parties.

The Characteristics of Matrimony.

According to the ordinance of Christ, Christian marriage is strictly a union of two persons only, and it is indissoluble.

Matrimony was raised by Our Lord to the dignity of a state of evangelical perfection, to which weightier responsibilities and more laborious duties were attached than in the ages preceding His advent. He therefore granted greater graces to those who should enter into wedlock.

Christian marriage consists of the union of one man and one woman only.

By creating only one man and one woman, God manifested it to be His will that marriage should be the union of two persons only. Our Lord pointed out that in the beginning this was so (Matt. xix. 4). The marriage that does not answer to this description cannot possibly be a true and lasting partnership ; domestic strife must in fallibly ensue. Yet in the earliest times God permitted polygamy, to prevent greater evils. A plurality of wives is forbidden by Our Lord (Luke xvi. 18), consequently it is prohibited most strictly by the law of the Church. Polygamy is unlawful, and a violation of the natural law (Council of Trent, 23, 2). It continues, however, to exist among Mohammedans, and among Jews in the East; but in the West ever since the Middle Ages the Jews have given it up, in deference to the code of morality observed by European nations.

Christian marriage is indissoluble; that is to say, neither husband nor wife can contract a second marriage during the lifetime of the other.

The principal object of matrimony is to provide for the proper bringing up of children, an object which could not be attained if the nuptial tie were dissoluble. What would become of the children if the parents were free to separate at their pleasure? Our Lord strictly forbids any one to marry again as long as the partner of his or her first marriage is living (Matt. v. 32; Mark x. 11). Under the law of Moses, the Jews were, it is true, permitted under exceptional circumstances to put away their wives ; but this was only by reason of the hardness of their hearts, and to prevent worse evils (Matt. xix. 8). Christ withdrew this permission; He says expressly:

The Sacraments. 653

God hath joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matt. xix. 4-9). Hence the Popes have never allowed one of two lawfully married persons to contract a second marriage during the lifetime of the other party. Not even for the sake of averting the most serious calamities could they consent to such a thing. It is well known that King Henry VIII. of England could not wring from the Holy See permission to divorce his rightful wife, and marry another. That even in consideration of the services he had rendered to the cause of religion, and of the fearful consequences which would ensue upon the introduction of the Lutheran heresy into England could Clement VII. be prevailed upon to give any other reply than this: " Non possumus; I have no authority to set aside the divine law." " Matrimony," says St. Augustine, " is an iron chain." A man can sell a house which he has bought if it does not suit him ; but once married, he cannot get rid of his wife. The soul can separate from the body sooner than the husband from the wife. And if either party should contract a second marriage while the other is still alive, he or she commits a mortal sin, and the marriage is invalid. It is, however, possible for a married couple to be separated, provided there are sufficient grounds for separation. If either party is guilty of adultery, the separation may be for life, since by the violation of a contract the rights conferred by that contract are lost; yet neither can enter upon fresh espousals (Matt. v. 32). Dissolute conduct, or cruelty on either side, would afford a reason for a temporary separation, which must be judicial. And if the parties agree to cohabit again they can do so at will.

The Graces Conferred in Matrimony.

The Sacrament of Matrimony confers upon Christians who embrace that state both an increase of sanctifying grace, and in addition the special graces necessary to enable them to discharge the duties required of them.

The special graces annexed to this sacrament are: (1), The mutual affection of those who receive it is confirmed and sanctified; (2), Strength is given them to preserve inviolable fidelity to one another, and bear with patience the ills of life. For as soon as a man is married, he is no longer free as when single; no longer absolute master of his will, his time, his goods, his person, but he is in a measure dependent on the will of his wife ; he wears the yoke, " for marriage," as St. Ambrose says, " is a yoke, a double yoke which rests on the neck of both husband and wife, obliging them to pull to gether." To this is added many trials such as ill health, the faults and failings of the other, which must be borne with; troubles with the children, etc. Finally grace is given to discharge the most important duty of all, that of bringing up their children in the fear and love of God. " Unhappy those," says Pope Gregory XVI., " who enter upon the married state from merely earthly motives, or for sensual gratification, and do not think of the graces and mysteries which this sacrament confers and represents."

654 The Means of Grace.

Impediments to Matrimony.

A marriage can only be concluded in the absence of all impediments to it. The impediments may be such as nullify marriage, or such as render it unlawful.

Those that render marriage null or invalid, are: Coercion, defect of age, consanguinity, and affinity, a previous marriage tie still existing, the greater degrees of Holy Orders, solemn vows, the prohibition concerning the marriage of Catholics with unbaptized persons.

Coercion: If undue stress is brought to bear on a man, if he is forced into marrying some one against his will by threats of personal injury, or fear of being disinherited, his marriage is invalid. Defect of age : Boys under fourteen, girls under twelve cannot enter into wedlock. Consanguinity: A Papal dispensation is required for the marriage of first cousins; in the case of more remote relationship an episcopal dispensation is sufficient. The voice of nature condemns the union of persons nearly related to one another, and their offspring are not unfrequently physically or mentally afflicted. Affinity is the result of a previous marriage; the survivor cannot espouse the blood-relations of the deceased party; that is, a man cannot marry the mother, sister, or daughter (by a former husband) of his deceased wife, and vice versa. But no affinity exists between the blood-relations of the several parties; for instance, a man may marry the sister of his brother's wife. Previous marriage : It has already been explained that one of the parties to a marriage cannot marry again during the lifetime of the other. Should a woman, believing her husband to be dead, have married again, she must immediately leave her second husband, if she discover the first to be still living. Holy Orders and religious vows : Clerics who have received deacon's or subdeacon's orders, and monks and nuns who have taken a vow of celibacy, cannot enter upon the married state. Difference of creed: A Christian cannot, without a dispensation from the Holy See, be married to a Jew, a Mohammedan, or any other unbeliever. There are besides, impediments of a purely ecclesiastical nature, such as spiritual affinitv, contracted in Baptism or Confirmation. These are not recognized by the State, and therefore the Church readily grants a dispensation if required.

The impediments that render marriage unlawful, are: The prohibition in regard to certain times, diversity of religious belief, betrothal, simple vows, complete ignorance of religious truth.

The times when marriages cannot be celebrated are from the beginning of Advent until the Epiphany, and from Ash Wednesday until Low Sunday (see the fifth precept of the Church). Diversity of religious belief: Marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics (Protestants. Old Catholics, non-uniate Greeks), can only be per-

The Sacraments. 655

mitted under certain conditions. Betrothed: Any one who has pledged his troth to one person cannot marry another until the previous engagement is broken off. Simple vows: Vows which are not solemn, vows of perpetual chastity, of celibacy; the vow to enter a religious Order or become a priest, are a hindrance to marriage. Ignorance of religious truth: Those who are about to marry must, if they are ignorant of tke fundamental truths of religion, place themselves under instruction for some time previously, otherwise they will be unable to teach their children the elements of the Christian religion. Hence it is usual for the priest to question those who announce to him their purpose of marrying, about the truths of religion, and if necessary instruct them in the duties and obligati' ms of the married state.

Impediments of a purely civil nature, such as minority, military service, recent widowhood.

In some States minors cannot marry without the consent of their father, or if he be dead, of the magistrate. Soldiers, the term of whose military service has not expired, must have the sanction of the government officials ; widows and widowers should allow a certain interval to elapse before concluding a second matrimonial alliance. The civil regulations in regard to matrimony must be observed, not from fear of the penalties incurred by violating them, but for ^God's sake, since the secular powers are ordained of God (Kom. xiii. 1). This rule would not hold good if the decrees of the legislature were opposed to the commandments of God.

The ecclesiastical authorities are accustomed to dispense from matrimonial impediments where good reasons exist; the secular authorities do likewise.

The Pope alone can dispense from some impediments, such as near blood-relationship, or affinity by marriage; from others the bishop can grant dispensations, either in virtue of his office, or empowered by the Holy See. There are some natural impediments from which not even the Supreme Pontiff can grant a dispensation; nor is one ever granted to step-fathers and step-daughters, to lathersin-law and daughters-in-law. Very rarely can a dispensation be obtained from solemn vows, or the greater Orders; nor in the case of one party being unbaptized, of spiritual affinity contracted Baptism, or in the relations of uncle and niece, aunt and nephew. Purely ecclesiastical impediments allow much more readily c pensation.

If a marriage to which any impediment rendering it in valid exists, should have been contracted, it must either be dissolved, or the impediment must be removed by means of a dispensation, and the ceremony performed over again.

If the invalidity of the marriage is known publicly, the nuptial contract must be renewed in the church, in presence of the parish priest and two witnesses; if not, it can be renewed privately, one only of the parties to the marriage is aware of the impediment,

656 The Means of Grace.

and if the other, should it come to his knowledge, would make use of it to dissolve the marriage, or if it would destroy the conjugal happiness of both, the Pope has power to dispense f rOm the renewal of the matrimonial contract, and declare the union valid. It is advisable, in order to bring to light any impediments that may exist to their marriage, that the parties intending to be united in wedlock should be subjected to an interrogation by the clergyman in presence of two witnesses. It is a grievous sin on the part of betrothed persons wil fully to conceal any impediment which would annul their marriage. It is for the sake of ascertaining whether any such hindrances exist that the banns of marriage are published three times in the church.

The Celebration of Matrimony.

Marriage must be preceded by betrothal, by the publication of the banns, and by the reception of the Sacraments of Penance and of the Altar.
Betrothal consists in this: An unmarried man and an unmarried woman, after due reflection, pledge their troth to one another, promising each to marry the other at the time agreed upon between them.

Eash and hasty engagements always turn out badly, therefore young people should not take this sTep without mature deliberation. They ought also to ask advice of their parents, or trusted friends. Listen to the exhortations of Holy Scripture : " My son, do thou nothing without counsel, and thou shall not repent what thou hast done" (Ecclus. xxxii. 24). They ought also to make it a subject of prayer, for a prudent wife is properly from the Lord (Prov. xix. 14). A matter so important as the tying of the nuptial knot, which can never be unloosed, must not be done without prayer. In making choice of a partner for life, advantages of wealth, high birth, and the like, ought not to be as much considered as virtue and piety. The fear of God, the love of virtue, are the best marriage portion for Christians; for a man who does not love God will not love his wife. " Let him who desires happiness in the married state," says St. Augustine, " not choose for his bride one who has a large dowry, but one who is proficient in virtue; let him look to the beauty of the heart, to the nobility of a pure life." Personal beauty, if not accom panied by interior loveliness, may captivate for a time, but its power is not lasting. Yet no man is to be blamed who has an eye to such attractions in his wife as beauty, wealth, and rank, for these in no wise interfere with the sanctity of the marriage bond. A virtuous man will surely have a partner worthy of him. A good wife is the portion of those that fear God, and is given to a man for his good deeds (Ecclus. xxvi. 3). During the interval between the betrothal and the conclusion of the marriage, the affianced parties ought seriously to reflect upon the step they are about to take, and make the best possible preparation for wedded life. Let them avoid all association on familiar terms with other suitors, and conduct themselves in

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general with great decorum; the holy Synod exhorts the bridegroom and bride not to live in the same house until they have received the sacerdotal benediction which is given in the Church (Council of Trent, 24, 1). "Happy the young men and maidens," says St. John Chrysostom, " who come to the nuptial altar with a pure heart ! How true will be their mutual love! how sincere their mutual esteem! how firm their mutual friendship! how tenderly will that man cherish his wife who has never bestowed his affections on another ! " Those who have formed illicit connections before marriage will quickly tire of one another, their love will change to hatred. Those who are betrothed ought to acknowledge frankly to one another, with- " out attempt at concealment or misrepresentation, any circumstances which it may be advisable or necessary to make known before the marriage is consummated. Those who resort to deception or false hood only prepare for themselves annoyance, embitterment, misery in the future. If after betrothal, the conviction is borne in on either of the affianced parties that their union will not be productive of happiness, let the engagement be broken off by mutual consent; moreover one party is warranted in withdrawing from the contract if the other should be found guilty of any grave delinquency, such as breach of promise, treachery, theft, or the like; or if his circumstances should be altered by any unforeseen event of importance, such as the com' plete loss of property, severe illness, etc.

The publication of banns is as follows: The names of the contracting parties between whom the marriage is to be concluded, shall be announced publicly three times in the parish church during the solemnization of Mass on three successive Sundays or festival days (Council of Trent, 24, 1).

The name, calling, birthplace and place of residence of the affianced couple are proclaimed at the publication of their banns. The purpose of the announcement is to ascertain whether any impediment exists to their lawful union, and to announce to the parishioners the intended nuptials, that no scandal may be caused by their cohabitation. The marriage must on no account take place until after the day of the third announcement, but if it is not celebrated within six months of that time, the publication of the banns must be repeated. Only in exceptional cases is the publication of banns to be omitted, and the omission must be sanctioned by the bishop of the diocese.

It is also enjoined on persons intending to marry to approach the Sacraments of Penance and of the Altar, because it ia indispensable that they should be in a. state of grace, in order to participate in the graces conferred in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

All who are about to marry are exhorted, at least three days Before the consummation of their marriage carefully to confess their sins and receive devoutly the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar (Council of Trent, 24, 1). The confession should be general, embracing the whole life, because it will then have the effect of awakening greater

658 The Means of Or ace.

contrition, and of setting the conscience more fully at rest. Our Lord, Who condescended to be present at the marriage at Cana, must also be invited to come to the bridgroom and bride, to sanctify them, and bestow His grace and blessing on their nuptials. Happy those who prepare a fitting dwelling in their heart for the divine Guest! Without presumption on their part, they may hope that He will remain with them until death, and impart to them the gift of His grace in abundant measure. But those who do not approach the sacraments worthily, and enter upon the matrimonial state in mortal sin, deprive themselves of grace, and call down on themselves the curse of God. They who thus act are like warriors going to the fight without armor and without arms.

The Church expressly commands that the marriage be concluded in the presence of the priest of the parish, and two witnesses; or the parish priest may authorize another priest to act in his place.

The decree to this effect was issued by the Council of Trent. The marriage ceremony must therefore be a public and an ecclesiastical ceremony. In early times it took place in presence of the bishop. St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, says : " It is right that affianced persons should conclude their nuptials only with the knowledge and sanction of the bishop, that thus their union may be in accordance with the will of God." " It was God," says St. Francis of Sales, " Who gave Eve to Adam, and He it is Who must bind the marriage bond." Those who shall attempt to contract marriage otherwise than in the presence of their parish priest, and in presence of two or three witnesses, consequently not in accordance with the Tridentine decree, form a contract which is null and void (Council of Trent, 24, 1).*

Marriages are, as a rule, celebrated in the forenoon, in the house of God, with solemn ceremonies, and Mass is usually said at the time.

Entrance into the state of matrimony is an event of great moment, one which influences the whole life. St. Paul terms matrimony " a great sacrament." Hence the affianced couple ought to conduct themselves with the utmost reverence, and not hasten out of the church the moment the ceremony is ended, but remain a while kneel ing before the altar to make their thanksgiving. Thus Tertullian declares that the early Christians sealed their marriage contract with prayers, and ratified it with the holy sacrifice. In the missal a special Mass pro sponso et sponsa, is provided. For the celebration of nuptials in secret, in the presence of trusted witnesses only, the episcopal sanction must be obtained, and also for the celebration of marriage in the afternoon.

The ceremonial for the celebration of matrimony is significant of the duties of the married and of the graces in which they participate.

* See note on page 651.

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The bride usually comes to the altar wearing a wreath, which is emblematical^ of the victory she has won in the preservation of her innocence. The bridegroom stands on the right of the altar, the bride upon the left, the witnesses stand behind them. The priest then asks each separately if with their free will and consent they enter into wedlock, and on their answering in the affirmative with an audible voice, they join hands, each holding the right hand of the other (to confirm their promise as by an oath) ; they pledge their troth, repeating the formula after the priest, in which they each promise separately to have and to hold the other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do part them. The priest then placing his stole round their joined hands (to indicate the indissolubility of the nuptial tie), unites them in the name of the Holy Trinity, and sprinkles them with holy water. This done, the bridegroom places upon the book the ring, which the priest blesses and gives back to the bridegroom, who places it on the thumb of the bride, saying: "In the name of the Father;" then on the second finger, saying : " and of the Son ;" then on the third, saying : " and of the Holy Ghost ;" lastly on the fourth, saying : " Amen." After this, some prayers are recited over the newly married couple, and if the nuptial benediction is to be given, Mass is said, at which it is usual for them to communicate. In conclusion the solemn benediction is given, in which peace, happiness, long life, are besought for them. On their return home, a wedding-feast is prepared. In this there is nothing blameworthy; we know that Our Lord honored such a festivity with His presence. The newly-married should, however, be careful to spend the day in such a manner as not to lose the bless ing which they received in the morning, as they would do were they to profane it by dissipation or sinful diversions.

The Duties of the Married.

The following are the duties incumbent on married persons: 1. It is the duty of the wife to obey her husband, as the man is the head of the family, the representative of God.

That the man is superior to the woman is shown by the fact that he was created first, and the woman was only created of his flesh, and as a helper for him (1 Cor. xi. 9). The man being the head of the family, the woman is subservient to him, as the members of the body are to the head. The Apostle says : " As the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wife be to the husband in all things " (Eph. v. 24). The woman is commanded to cover her head in the church, to indicate that she is under the dominion of the man ; whereas the man uncovers his head, because there is no one over him but God (1 Cor. xi. 10). The wife ought to fear her husband (Eph. v. 33), that is show him the deference due to him. After the Fall God ordained that the woman should be under her husband's power, and should yield him obedience (Gen. iii. 16), because Eve lusted after power, and ate the apple first. The husband therefore has every right to rule his wife, but he ought to rule with kindness, gentleness

660 The Means of Grace.

and leniency, for she is in one sense his equal, having been made out of flesh taken from his side. Therefore St. Ambrose bids the husband remember that his wife is not to be treated as a servant, that he must not make his authority felt to be a burden. Besides the woman, being the weaker, can claim to be gently treated (1 Pet. iii. 7). It is more shame for the man than for the woman, if he resorts to blows to enforce his authority. As the representative of God, the husband has the right of controlling the household. The angel did not appear to Mary, but to Joseph, when the flight to Egypt was to be made, because the husband's duty is to rule and govern.

The husband and wife owe to each other love, fidelity, and mutual aid in all circumstances of their life.

Husbands ought to love their wives as Christ loves the Church (Eph. v. 25), as their own bodies (v. 28), as themselves (v. 33). The love of husband and wife ought not to be a purely natural love, like that of the lower animals, nor a purely human love, like that of the heathen, but a holy and supernatural affection, like that of Christ for the Church, and of the Church for Christ. Hence they ought each to bear with the infirmities of the other patiently and indulgently, or generously close their eyes to them. An example of this is given by the Greek philosopher Socrates, whose wife was a perfect virago. When she stormed at him, he took no more notice of it than of the rattling of a passing vehicle. One day when he was seated before the house with his scholars, from a window above she rated him soundly, and finally threw a jug of water over him. Socrates rose and changed his place, remarking with a smile : " I might have known that the storm would have ended with a thunder shower." The wife will influence her husband for good far more effectually by silence, meekness and prayer than by reproaches. St. Augustine tells us that his mother did more for the conversion of her husband Patricius by the saintliness of her life, than by her words. Dissensions between husband and wife ruin their happiness; without peace at home nothing pleases, even amid all the luxuries wealth can command. Married people owe fidelity to one another (Heb. xiii. 4). They ought scrupulously to guard against every appearance of unfaithfulness, and avoid familiar intercourse with persons of the other sex. For where jealousy enters, all conjugal happiness is at an end. St. John Chrysostom is of opinion that the direst poverty, the most incurable malady, fire even and sword, are lesser evils than jealousy. The Jews used to stone the unfaithful husband or wife, for they considered adultery a no less heinous crime than murder (Lev. xx. 10). St. Paul declares everlasting damnation to be the portion of adulterers (Eph. v. 5). The married must not defraud one another of their conjugal rights (1 Cor. vii. 1-5), but they must abstain from excesses inconsistent with the sanctity of their state (Tob. vi. 17), and only keep in view the object indicated by the angel to Tobias (v. 22), otherwise the devil will prevail over them (v. 16). To the duty of mutual aid it appertains that husband and wife should live together, and that neither the one nor the other should avail himself or herself, if contrarieties or calamities overtake them, of any pretext to leave the other; they are bound to assist each other in the training of their children, to sue-1

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cor each other in illness, to aid each other to bear more easily the ills of life, and to perform their religious duties with greater facility. Eve was created for the sole purpose of helping Adam ; for God said : ''It is not good for man to be alone, lot us make him a help like unto himself" (Gen. ii. 18). It is, however, a sad misfortune when the wife is not a support but a cross to her husband; when instead of lightening his burdens, she only adds to their weight. Almighty God declares that a really good woman is a treasure of inestimable price (Prov. xxxi. 10), far above the most costly jewels. Jewels serve to adorn their owner, and that which is to him a brilliant ornament in the day of prosperity, is to him in adversity a timely aid. So a good wife is in herself a source of riches, a valuable jewel which retains its worth amid all the vicissitudes of life.

It is the duty of both husband and wife to provide for their children, and train them in the fear and love of God.

Children are no more the property of their parents than riches are; they are a gift from God (Ps. cxxvi. 3). They are His creatures, destined to be happy with Him forever; they are the children of their Father in heaven, and are only given in trust by Him to their parents, to be brought up in His service. Thus parents are only servants, bound to carry out the will of God in regard to their offspring.

The duties which parents have to discharge towards their children are these: They have to safeguard them from every thing which would be prejudicial to their health; they have to supply them with their daily sustenance; they have also to provide for their future.

It is the duty of parents to deny themselves everything which might prove injurious to the health of their children. They must refrain from giving way to their passions, or indulging in excesses, lest they transmit a heritage of disease or sin to their offspring. Like father, like child, the proverb says. Parents ought not to give themselves up to the pursuit of pleasure and amusements, to the neglect of their young children. Let them remember how distressed Mary and Joseph were when the Child Jesus was lost, how for three days they sought Him, sorrowing (Luke ii. 48). Let them learn a lesson from the birds; they do not leave the nest until their young are fully fledged, they are indefatigable in supplying them with food, they teach them to fly. Parents ought to work for the daily bread of their family ; even wild beasts take the utmost care of their young, yet some parents are, as Holy Scripture says, " cruel as the ostrich in the desert" (Lam. iv. 3), which lays her eggs in the sand and heeds them no more. " Children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (2 Cor. xii. 14). They ought to provide for their children's future by laying by a certain amount of money to bequeath to them; by sending them to school; by fitting them to follow the calling most in accordance with their inclinations and capabilities; above all by training them in the fear of God, which is the surest means of promoting their temporal as well

662 The Means of Grace.

as their spiritual welfare ; (David declares : " I have been young and now am old, and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed begging bread," Ps. xxxvi. 25) ; finally it is the bounden duty of parents to pray for their children, and thus call down on them the blessing of God. Job offered holocausts daily for every one of his children, lest perchance they should have sinned against God (Job i. 5). St. Monica prayed fervently for her son, and with the happiest results. " Parents," says St. Francis of Sales, " ought often to speak of God to their children, but yet more often to speak to God of their children."

In regard to the bringing up of their children it is the duty of parents to have them baptized immediately after their birth, to give them their first religious teaching, to set them a good example in all respects, and to treat them with kindness rather than severity.

St. Charles Borromeo says that training children means bringing them to Christ. Parents ought to have their new-born infant baptized as soon as possible; to defer baptism for more than ten days after the birth of a child, without good reason, is a sin. They ought to instruct their children early in the fundamental truths of religion ; to teach them that there is a God in heaven ; that He knows and sees everything, that if we obey Him, He will take us to Himself in heaven, etc. They should beware of frightening their children by threats of hell and of the devil, lest they inspire them with a repulsion for religion, also of allowing them to imbibe false ideas, for if later on they find they have been deluded, they will not believe any thing. Parents must instruct their children in the law of God, as Tobias did. He taught his son from his infancy to fear God and to abstain from sin (Tob. i. 10), and when te thought his death was near, he gave him godly admonitions (Tob. iv.). They should endeavor to stifle evil propensities in their children, and bring them up in the discipline and correction of the Lord (Eph. vi. 4). They should teach them to pray, beginning with the sign of the cross and the invocation of the holy name, and proceeding to the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Creed. The children's daily prayers should be very short, so as not to become wearisome to them Furthermore parents should set their children a good example. We all know how much more influential example is than precept, and that what is seen makes a far more lasting impression than what is heard. The actions of the father and mother are the lesson books of their children ; how careful should they therefore be not to let them see them do any thing blameworthy, and also to warn the servants not to say or do anything in the presence of the children which they ought not to see or hear. For the imitative faculty is strong in children; they are sure to do what they see their elders do. Let parents remember Our Lord's words : " He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea " (Matt, xviii. 6). Those who neglect this warning will have reason to tremble, for if the soul of the child is lost through the parents' fault, they will hear the voice of God saying : " I will require

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his blood of thy hand " (Ezech. xxxiii. 8). In training their children parents should combine kindness and firmness. Too great severity is a fault; for rebukes and punishments are a medicine, which if administered too frequently or in too strong doses, does harm instead of good. It is not by incessant beating with the hammer that the goldsmith fashions the most elegant ornaments. To be always finding fault is a great mistake, but it is no less a one to let the children's wrong-doing pass unpunished, to pamper and spoil them through ill-regulated affection and false kindness. He that spareth the rod hateth his son (Prov. xiii. 24). " Give thy son his way, and he shall make thee afraid " (Ecclus. xxx. 9). To allow a child to have his own will in all things is highly reprehensible; he should be firmly, not sternly compelled to yield.

Of all parental duties, that of training their children in the fear of God is the most important; for on the manner in which it is discharged the temporal and eternal happiness both of parents and children will depend.

The education of their children ought to be for parents a matter of such moment, that nothing should grieve them so much as to see them turn out badly, or rejoice them so much as to see them walking in truth (2 John i. 4). The religious training of the child devolves principally on the mother, as his earliest years are spent at her knee. The father, engaged in the occupations of his calling, has little time and less inclination for the work of instruction. The father and mother supplement each other. The father, by his position of command and force of character, represents the divine power and justice ; the mother, with her gentle kindness and tender love, represents the divine attributes of bounty and compassion. It is the part of the father to confirm with his paternal authority what the mother teaches, and enforce the orders she gives. The future happiness of the child depends upon the early training he receives; for, as a rule, what he is in his youth that he is in his old age. Just as out of a piece of soft wax one may model an angel or a devil, so it is with the charac ter of a young child. The first impressions are always the most lasting; they are never wholly effaced from the soul, any more than marks made in the bark of a young tree ever disappear; they do but widen with its growth. In later years the character cannot be moulded afresh ; as the sapling is bent, the tree is inclined. The land, if it is to yield a harvest in autumn, must be tilled in the early spring, not left uncultivated until the summer. The great majority of criminals in houses of correction are those whose training has been neglected in their childhood. Can it be supposed that^ if the souls of these culprits are lost, their parents are not to blame for it ? Consider, O parents, what a responsibility rests upon your shoulders ! Those who pay no heed to the bringing up of their children are more culpable than those who put them to death; for the latter only take the life of the body, whereas the former cause the destruction of the soul. Some parents are at great pains to amass wealth to bequeath to their children, but they do not care in the least how they are brought up. The temporal and eternal happiness of the parents also depends in a great measure on the training they give to their children. Those

364 The Means of Grace.

who bring them up badly are generally severely chastised by God in this world, and often it is their own children who are their scourge. By that wherein they have sinned, by that same they are punished. King David, through an exaggerated fondness for his son Absalom, did not correct him for his faults; and in after years he had cause bitterly to regret his weakness, when Absalom rebelled against him (2 Kings xviii.). Heli, the high priest, was too indulgent towards his wicked sons, and the chastisement foretold to him by God through the mouth of Samuel speedily overtook him; his two sons were slain in battle, and the old man, on hearing the sad tidings of Israel's defeat, fell off his seat and died (1 Kings iv. 18). Nor can negligent parents expect to fare better in another world, for the Apostle compares them to unbelievers : " If any man have not care of his own, and especially those of his house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel" (1 Tim. v. 8). On the other hand, a rich reward is promised hereafter to those who have brought up their children well. The eternal felicity of a mother depends on the manner in which she has trained her offspring (1 Tim. ii. 15). The father of a good son will not be sorrowful at the approach of death, neither will he be confounded before his enemies (Ecclus. xxx. 5). Good parents who have conscientiously fulfilled their duties will, when they appear before God, be able to say : " Behold, those whom Thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost" (John xvii. 12).

Mixed Marriages.

Mixed marriages, by which is understood the marriage of Catholics to non-Catholics, have always been disapproved of by the Church.

(1), Because in such marriages the proper training of the children is a matter of great difficulty, if not altogether impossible; (2), Because such unions are productive of no concord, no true happiness; (3), Because the Catholic is in great danger of losing his or her faith; (4), And besides, the non-Catholic may at any time obtain a divorce, leave his or her Catholic partner, and contract another marriage.

Even in the Old Testament mixed marriages were prohibited ; the Jews were not permitted to make marriages with the Chanaanites (Deut. vii. 3), nor indeed with the Samaritans, although they kept the law of God and had the books of Moses, because of the heathen ceremonies they observed. In like manner in the present day the Church discourages the marriage of Catholics to non-Catholics, who, though they call themselves Christians, hold doctrines which are at variance with the teaching of Christ. The Church warns her children against such alliances, just as a loving father might warn his son against undertaking some journey which he knows will expose him to great perils. In early times parents who gave their daughter in marriage to a heretic were subjected to a five years' penance. The dangers attendant on mixed marriages are these: The non-Catholic

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party, whether a Protestant or not a Christian, far from assisting in the education of the children, will be an obstacle to it, and will perhaps throw scorn and ridicule on Catholic faith and practice. And even if this is not the case, the example of the unbelieving parent will have the worst consequences for the children, i^id not unfrequently it happens that the non-Catholic, urged by the ministers of his religion, or by his relatives, who represent that it will be prejudicial to their temporal interests if his children are brought up as Catholics, yields to their persuasions, and departs from his promise that they should be ^so brought up. And what becomes of the children if their Catholic parent dies, and the other espouses a member of his or her own religion? A Catholic cannot do his children a more cruel wrong than by marrying one who is not of his own religion. Moreover, true happiness can hardly exist in such a marriage, where there is not union on the most important of all matters. Heart felt affection and confidence between husband and wife are scarcely possible if they differ on a point which is all-important, namely religion. Mixed marriages are, moreover, fraught with no slight danger to the salvation of those who contract them. The wise and enlightened King Solomon took to himself heathen wives in his old age, and they prevailed over him so far, that from a worshipper of the true God he became an idolater, and allowed temples of the false gods to be erected in his kingdom. The influence of heretics who call themselves Christians is often more perilous than that of open unbelievers. If reading heretical books is apt to mislead, how much more is continual and close contact with heretics to be dreaded ! Besides, we are far more ready to adopt the opinions of one to whom we are attached, for we are blinded by affection. The Holy Father declares that mixed marriages have the effect of obliterating the distinction between truth and error, and fostering the idea that all religions are equally good. Furthermore mixed marriages are most unfair for the Catholic party. The non-Catholic may at any time obtain a divorce and marry again; whereas the Catholic is bound not to take a second partner as long as the former lives. What an equivocal position is that of a divorced woman! She is married, and yet she has no husband ; she has the mortification of seeing her rightful husband with another wife, while she is condemned to live a lonely life, looked down upon perhaps by the world; and worst of all, to be separated from some, if not all, of her children. Well then may the Church exhort Christian people to beware of entering into matrimony with those who are aliens to the faith they hold !

The Church tolerates mixed marriages on three conditions:

(1), Both parties must promise that their children shall be brought up as Catholics; (2), The Catholic must promise to endeavor to bring the non-Catholic to the knowledge of the truth; (3), The non-Catholic must promise to allow the Catholic liberty for the free exercise of his or her religion. Without these three conditions the Church will not sanction a mixed marriage.

By tolerating or permitting mixed marriages the Church does not approve them; on the contrary she strongly disapproves of them;

666 The Means of Grace.

and she insists so forcibly on the children being brought up in the Catholic faith, because this is the main object of matrimony. It has already been shown that the chief end of marriage is to train up children in the knowledge and fear of God ; the aim of the Christian parent should rather be to leave behind him inheritors of the kingdom of heaven than heirs of his earthly possessions. Consequently it is the first duty of a Catholic, who has wedded one who does not hold the faith, to insure his child's salvation in as far as he can. How deeply is that parent to be commiserated who destroys the soul of her offspring, by allowing the poison of error to be instilled into its mind! When the first glamour of an ill-regulated affection fades away, and conscience again makes its voice heard, the path of wedded life is beset with thorns. The birth of the first child, which ought to be an occasion of glad rejoicing, is a source of anxiety to the mother, for she fears that it will be taught to regard the true faith with hostility. How her conscience reproaches her! And each successive child, which ought to be welcomed as a blessing from the hand of God, is a fresh accuser, calling to mind her treachery. The Catholic party is also bound to bring the non-Catholic to the knowledge of the truth, not by coercion or persuasion, for proselytizing only adds to the number of nominal Catholics, not of the loyal children of the Church, and is abhorrent to the Catholic Church, who only desires the erring to be brought to her fold of their own free will, and through full conviction. Let them be won by prayer and good example : " Let the unbelieving husbands be won by the conversation of the wives " (1 Pet. iii. 1). If the Catholic wife is seen to be modesjt, yielding, patient, faithful, etc., the non-Catholic husband will be led to reflect, anl consider whether he may not judge of the tree by its fruits. At any rate he will gradually divest himself of all his former prejudices against our holy religion. He must not be pressed with arguments and instructions, but rather every word should be carefully avoided that might wound his susceptibilities. For those who are outside the Church are not to blame because they have not had the privilege of being born and brought up in the true faith. Furthermore the Catholic party must fearlessly observe his or her religious duties; the other will respect such observance. A man who is not devoid of good feeling will have no wish to oppose the pious practices of his wife ; he will know himself to be a gainer, not a loser by them. Sometimes Protestants assert that they agree with Catholics on the fundamental truths of religion, and only differ in non-essentials; this is utterly false. What the Catholic holds most sacred, the Protestant despises ; witness the holy sacrifice of the Mass, which Protestants regard as an act of idolatrous worship. In the face of differences so deep-rooted all idea of unity is a mockery.

The Catholic who contracts a mixed marriage without the benediction of the Church commits a mortal sin, and cannot be admitted to the sacraments.

Catholics who act thus are declared to be guilty of mortal sin, because they sin through disobedience, by refusing to conform to the precepts of the Church ; they give great scandal, and deny the faith ; they turn their back upon the sacraments of the true Church and

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receive the rites of an heretical sect. Thus they give the preference to a false Church, or at least allow its equality with the true one. They cannot be re-admitted to the sacraments unless they manifest sincere contrition on account of their sinful union, and are ready to comply with the requirements of the Church. Many a one takes a just view of his conduct on his death-bed. Conscience often slumbers, like a volcano, which for long years shows no signs of activity, then suddenly bursts into flame; so conscience awakens at last, and the unhappy soul is consumed by the flames of remorse and despair. No one who firmly believes the Catholic to be the only true and saving faith will be content to see his children brought up in soul-destroying error; and it may safely be affirmed, that in the majority of cases, those who contract mixed marriages sooner or later heartily regret the step they have taken.

The Unmarried State.

The unmarried state is better than the married, because those who do not marry have far more opportunity for attending to their spiritual welfare, and can attain a higher degree of glory hereafter.

It is better and more blessed to remain in virginity or in celibacy than to be united in matrimony (Council of Trent, 24, 10). The state of virginity surpasses the married state in excellence as much as angels surpass men. It is as far above matrimony as the heavens are above the earth ; it is as much superior to it as the soui is to the body. Marriage is honorable, but virginity is far more honorable. Such is the opinion of the Fathers. The heathen entertained a great respect for those who voluntarily embraced a life of celibacy and chastity; witness the reverence shown by the Romans for the vestal virgins. The richer and nobler the bridegroom, the more a bride is congratulated upon her espousals. How much the more ought those to be deemed happy, who by the practice^of chastity have chosen Christ for their Spouse; and for His sake, like St. Agnes of old, despised every earthly suitor, however wealthy and powerful. The unmarried are more free to study the concerns of their soul ; St. Paul says : " He that is without a wife is solicitous how he may please God; but he that is with a wife is solicitous how he may please his wife; and he is divided" (1 Cor. vii. 32-34). The unmarried also can attain a higher degree of glory. St. John beheld a multitude " before the throne, who sang a new canticle, that no man could say but those a hundred forty and four thousand ; for they were virgins " (Apoc. xiv. 1-5).

Our Lord when on earth commended the state of virginity both by precept and example.

Our Lord says that there are some who renounce matrimony for the kingdom of heaven's sake, adding : " He that can take, let him take it" (Matt. xix. 12). St. Paul also says: "He that giveth his daughter in marriage doth well, but he that giveth her not doth

668 TJie Means of Grace.

better" (1 Cor. vii. 38). And again, speaking of widows, "more blessed shall she be if she so remain" (v. 40). The apostles did not marry, and many of the saints took vows of perpetual virginity; of this the greatest example is given us in the blessed Mother of God, as we learn from her own words to the angel (Luke i. 34) ; it is also the opinion of the Fathers that St. Joseph did the same. Some of the saints, especially in the early ages of the Church, endured the most agonizing tortures and a cruel death rather than break their vow of virginity. It is related of St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, who before he received Holy Orders had been married and had a daughter, that while he was in exile he received a letter from his daughter, telling him she was grown up, and was about to be married. He wrote in answer to say that he was soon returning home, and would bring the portrait of another suitor; she could compare the two and choose between them. On his arrival he gave her a crucifix, and exhorted her to consecrate herself to Christ by a vow of virginity. This she did, and shortly after died a holy death. Just before she expired her father said to her : " Behold your celestial Spouse ; He has come to take you to your eternal nuptials." In the pages ^of hagiology we read of many saints who, although married, led a life of chastity.

Chapter 54 of 59