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Papal Decree Eases Climate
Reflects Pastoral Concern on Mixed Marriage The Holy Father, Pope Paul VI, has issued further explanations and regulations ~ncerning mixed marriages
with the intention of not so much changing essentials as of easing the cUmate of this sacred but often tense act. By the decree, some restric-
The ANCHOR ST.PA..
fall River Mass., Thursday, March'24, 1966 ,1
V o I. 10, N o. 12 ©
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1966 The Anchor
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tions have been softened, the penalty of excommunication of Catholics involved in marriages before non-Catholic clergymen has been lifted, new rules and explanations attempt to clearly spell out both the Church's doctrine and her pastoral concerns.' Mixed marriages are those that con c ern a Catholic and a non-Catholic Christian or a non-Christian. If there is a real danger that the faith. of the Catholic party will be endangered such a union would be and is actually forbidden not by some legalistic attitude of the Church but by the very will of God. If however, there seems to be no real danger to the Catholic's practice of the faith, the Church has-and still does-reluctantly permit such a marriage. The opposition to mixed marriages is not solely on the part of the Church but is· as strong (if not stronger) on the part of leaders of all religions. Pope Paul restated the words of Pius XI - in -showing that the very union of the parties in a marriage must be bolstered by all means possible. Yet, in a mixed marriage the parties start
Reaff·lrmS Dogma Yencourages t E Ecumenism off their attempts at ever clos~r and more intimate union on a divided footing. The difference of religious beliefs is an important matter. . Validity The question of validity' of marriages of Catholics before a non-Catholic c 1 erg y man is not changed in the least. For a Catholic to be validly marriedand this applies to the past as well as the present - the marriage must be before an authorized priest and two witnesses. Any other arrangement, no matter before whom or in whatever context, is simply no valid marriage, no truly binding union; On the contrary, for a Catholic to attempt marriage before a civil official or a nonCatholic clergyman is a purely civil act. and ·while there is no longer the added penalty of excommunication the action is considered no marriage and a serious sin. Tn the matter of past
invalid marriages, while the added penalty of excommunica tion has been lifted, the invalid! marriage remains invalid and the Catholic party remains in serious sin and cannot receive absolution or Holy Communion until the marriage is validated or until he is no longer living in the invalid union. The lifting of the excommuni cation for the Catholic party that was involved in such a marriage will have little practical effect. It simply is expected to help the ecumenical climate. It does not validate past such ceremonies nor does it plan to make any ferther marriages of Catholics before non-Catholic clergymen valid in the future. Promises To assure that there wiJI be no interference with the practice of the faith of the Catholic party, the Church asks that the non-Catholic promise be for e witnesses that he or she will not so interfere. In the past such promises were to be written and signed by the both parties (Catholic and non Catholic) involved. Such signing can be done away with if the Turn to Page Six
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• :AII Is In Readiness for ·Panorama In Taunton
Dual Purpose Show Opens Tomorrow
The most far-reaching under taking by the diocesan Vocations Bureau, since its inception 15 veal's ago, is under the direction
of- the Rt, Rev. John J. Hayes, vocations director, and pastor -of Holy Name Church in New -Bedford,
"United and Dedicated" are .the two words which sum up the dual purpose of the exhibit missions and vocations. Thirty-
The Christian .PanorAma, exhibiting the work of many devoted sisters and mission aries-both clerical and lay organizations - will open its three-day program at Bishop Cassidy High School in Taunton at 2 tomorrow afternoon. The biggest diocesan presen tation in years will afford an op portunity to all to see the many facets of work being done to spread the teaching of Christ throughout the world.
Pope Meets
five exhibits will show a pano rama view of the work of dioc esan priests, mission priests, brothers and sisters together with the program of the laity, will enable all who attend the worthwhile program to obtain a birds-eye view of the tremen dous effort being made by the church in spt'eading the Gospel of Christ. A very fine representation from the doll collection of Mrs. Ralph Patunoff will grace one section of the foyer. These dolls are made of varied materials: wood, wax, papier-mache, bisque, china, cloth, metal, rubber, felt, and many other types of mate rials. They also represent the very fine use of imagination. Rev. Michael McPartland an nounced that a hootenanny wilD. Turn to Page Fifteen
English Use On Sundrnv
AmJg~5~@][Ji) VATICAN CITY (NC) an atmosphere carefully compounded of friendliness and formality a pope and an
This Sunday throughout -the Fan River Diocese as in dioceses across the country there will be additional use
Anglican archbishop of Canter ioury met officially for the fit'st time since thl" Reformation. Archbishop Michael Ramsey, spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion of 17 in dependent churches and 45 mil llion members, arrived at Rome's Fiumicino airport Tuesday foi' bis historic three-day visit. Tum to Page Three
of English in the Mass. The Prayers at the foot of the altar, the Collect, the Prayer over the offerings (Secret), D i a log u e (Orate, Fratres), Preface, em bolism following the Lord's Prayer (Libera nos), Postcom munion and Prayer over the faithful will be in English. In parishes where a language other than English has been per Turn to Page Twenty ,
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Honors FII'. Haering Rev. Bernard Haering, C.SS.R who will address all priests ex ercising faculties in the Diocese at 3 next Tuesday afternoon, March 29, in the Jesus Mary Auditorium, Fall River, receiv Q;A an honorary degree yester~ day ~lt Notre Dame University ~\ vith 19 O~;l?:' internationaU b.~·:'.~olor,ica:. c1.\Ckw.\'ities. \
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Final Jubilee Mass
NUN PREPARES CASSIDY HIGH ENTRANCE FOR F ANORAMA
The fifth and final Pontifical Jubilee Mass commemorating the closing of Vatican Council rr will be offered at 3 Sunday afternoon in St. Mary's Cath edral, Fall River, by Bishop Connolly. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Hub berto S. Medeiros, Diocesan Chancellor, will be the preacher.