| Show CHIM jurisdiction A religious case of peculiar inter est was brought before the supreme court of massachusetts a few days ago appears a the roman church got a divorce from his wife and married again the priest of the parish expelled him under the form ef excommunication and then announced that he would not any person who should employ the offender personally he being a physician the result was to ruin his practice suit was ted for malicious slander resulting in actual injury to his business and the jury awarded heavy damages in sustaining the conclusion the supreme court very properly recognized the right of a church organization to hold its members to the conditions of membership but anito as properly ruled that its censure must be limited to spiritual pains and penalties in every part of the united states as well as in massachusetts the civil law is supreme and will furnish protection to the citizen aganet abuse or unwarranted assumption of ecclesiastical power it is good this is the case a community corn posed largely of members of ono religious denomination nomination do might make tho life of other citizens tin bearable still the right of a church to expel a member and refuse association with him thereafter in a church rapacity ought not to be questioned any more than the right of a club to a member who does not abide the laws of afao association the club may never allow the excommunicated person to enter any building or participate in any amusements by said the ostracism should extend no farther than the circles controlled by the club no right is given to interfere with tho daily walks of life likewise tho church though embracing a larger circle than the club lins no right to interfere outside of its social sphere we think therefore the boman church does wrong when it by escom rauni cation to ruin a mans financial chances such is but tho of the ancient power of tho roman church compelling its members not to buy or sell to any one against whom the pope saw fit to issue a bull this regard therefore the laws of the land do well to curtail such power |
