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Show MARRIAGE LAWS 1llFi Rumor That Pope Has Decided to Act on Communications From This Country. Chicago, Aug. 2S. Unification of Roman Ro-man Catholic marriage regulations in the Unitod States is anticipated in an edict shortly to be issued from Rome. Reports that the pontiff has decided to act on communications of the Catholic clergy throughout the country have been received, re-ceived, i The present complications date back to the decrees of the council of Trent, held in the sixteenth century, several of the edicts of which applied only to the Spanish Span-ish possessions in America. These have not been amended, and the laws governing govern-ing non-Cafholic ceremonies in the limits of the old Louisiana purchase differ from those in force outside that terri-' tory. The edict of the ecclesiastical council was that no ceremony performed by other oth-er than a regularly authorized priest would be recognizer I as binding, in the newer territory sucVj ceremonies were declared de-clared illicit by the r-hurch, but the participants par-ticipants could not be divorced. It is intimated in-timated that the new law will declare the marriages non-existent and its principals prin-cipals free to enter into other marriage contracts if not in conflict with the civil law. If a priest is not procurable, as in a sparsely settled country, a verbal contract con-tract of marriage before witnesses will be held binding until opportunity for the proper religious ceremony has arrived. The conflicting regulations on marriage in adjacent sections have caused much trouble to the Catholic clergy, who frequently fre-quently have sought to have the laws unified. The attitude of the church on divorce, where the proper religious ceremony cere-mony has been performed, will not be altered in any way. |
