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Venerable
Brothers, Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.
1.
The Apostolic See has always ensured that the canons forbidding
the marriages of Catholics with heretics have been observed
religiously. Occasionally such marriages have been tolerated in
order to avoid more serious scandals. But, even then, the Roman
Pontiffs saw to it that the faithful were taught how deformed
these marriages are and what spiritual dangers they present. A
Catholic man or woman would be guilty of a great crime if he
presumed to violate the canonical sanctions in this matter. And if
the Roman Pontiffs themselves very reluctantly relaxed this same
canonical prohibition in some serious cases, they always added to
their dispensation a formal condition: that the Catholic party
must not be perverted, but rather must make every effort to
withdraw the non-Catholic party from error and that the offspring
of both sexes must be educated entirely in the Catholic religion.
Mixed
Marriages
2.
Therefore, guided by the example of Our predecessors, We are
grieved to hear reports from your dioceses which indicate that
some of the people committed to your care freely encourage mixed
marriages. Furthermore, they are promoting opinions contrary to
the Catholic faith: namely, they dare to affirm that a Catholic
may freely and legally contract marriage with a heterodox party,
not only without asking for a dispensation (which must be obtained
from the Apostolic See in each individual case), but also without
agreeing to the necessary obligations, especially the duty to
educate all the offspring in the Catholic religion. Indeed it has
even come to the point that these same persons insist that mixed
marriages ought to be approved when the heretical partner is a
divorced person whose former spouse is still alive. To this end
they issue serious threats of punishments in order to induce
priests to announce mixed marriages in the churches and,
afterwards, to defend the act by which these marriages were
contracted or, at least, to grant the contracting parties what
they call dimissory letters. Finally some of these misguided
people attempt to persuade themselves and others that men are not
saved only in the Catholic religion, but that even heretics may
attain eternal life.
Praiseworthy
Situations
3.
Some circumstances, however, lighten Our grief which arises from
this matter: namely, the constancy of most of the Bavarian people
in holding fast to the Catholic faith, their sincere obedience to
ecclesiastical authority, and the steadfastness of nearly all of
their clergy in carrying out their ministry according to the
canons. We know that, although you may not all hold the same
opinion in this business of mixed marriages, all of you are
resolved to hearken to the Apostolic See and, with its guidance,
to protect the flocks entrusted to you, not even fearing to
encounter dangers in order to safeguard the sheep.
Help
from King Louis
4.
Through these letters We hope to strengthen your fraternity so
that in the matter under consideration you may continue to preach
the unchangeable Catholic teachings and to safeguard the
observance of the canons. Since Our opinion has been made known to
you, We hope it will result in a more perfect agreement between
all of you and the Holy See. We hope that Our dear son in Christ,
Louis, the illustrious king of Bavaria, when he understands the
present problem, may assist Us and you with his patronage because
of his grandfather's zeal for the Catholic religion which Louis
has inherited. If he does, the evils which threaten the Catholic
cause from this source may be prevented and our most holy religion
may be restored and protected throughout Bavaria. Then Catholic
clergy may enjoy complete liberty in carrying out their ministry,
just as was provided for in the agreement entered into with the
Apostolic See in 1817.
History
of Dictum Against Mixed Marriages
5.
Next let Us start with the things which concern the faith which,
as We mentioned above, some are endangering in order to introduce
greater freedom for mixed marriages. You know how zealously Our
predecessors taught that very article of faith which these dare to
deny, namely the necessity of the Catholic faith and of unity for
salvation. The words of that celebrated disciple of the apostles,
martyred St. Ignatius, in his letter to the Philadelphians are
relevant to this matter: "Be not deceived, my brother; if
anyone follows a schismatic, he will not attain the inheritance of
the kingdom of God." Moreover, St. Augustine and the other
African bishops who met in the Council of Cirta in the year 412
explained the same thing at greater length: "Whoever has
separated himself from the Catholic Church, no matter how laudably
he lives, will not have eternal life, but has earned the anger of
God because of this one crime: that he abandoned his union with
Christ." Omitting other appropriate passages which are almost
numberless in the writings of the Fathers, We shall praise St.
Gregory the Great who expressly testifies that this indeed is the
teaching of the Catholic Church. He says: "The holy universal
Church teaches that it is not possible to worship God truly except
in her and asserts that all who are outside of her will not be
saved." Official acts of the Church proclaim the same dogma.
Thus, in the decree on faith which Innocent III published with the
synod of Lateran IV, these things are written: "There is one
universal Church of all the faithful outside of which no one is
saved." Finally the same dogma is also expressly mentioned in
the profession of faith proposed by the Apostolic See, not only
that which all Latin churches use, but also that which the Greek
Orthodox Church uses and that which other Eastern Catholics use.
We did not mention these selected testimonies because We thought
you were ignorant of that article of faith and in need of Our
instruction. Far be it from Us to have such an absurd and
insulting suspicion about you. But We are so concerned about this
serious and well-known dogma, which has been attacked with such
remarkable audacity, that We could not restrain Our pen from
reinforcing this truth with many testimonies.
Help
the Bavarian People Avoid Mixed Marriages
6.
Strive to eradicate these slithering errors with all your
strength. Inspire the populace of Bavaria to keep the Catholic
faith and unity as the only way of salvation with an ever more
ardent zeal, and, thus, to avoid every danger of forsaking it.
Once the Bavarian faithful understands this necessity of
maintaining Catholic unity, admonitions and warnings to them
against joining in marriage with heretics will certainly not be in
vain. If on occasion some grave cause should suggest such a mixed
marriage, they will then apply for a dispensation from the Church
and observe the conditions We mentioned above. You and their
parents and others who have care of them are responsible for
teaching them what the judgment of the canons is in this matter.
They must be warned lest they should dare to break these canons
and, thus, jeopardize their souls. Hence if the circumstances
suggest it, it may be necessary to remind them of that well-known
precept of the natural and divine law, which commands us to avoid
not only sins but the near occasion of sin as well. Remind them
also of the other precept of the same law which enjoins parents to
rear their children in the discipline and admonitions of the Lord
(Eph. 6.4). Therefore, they must instruct them in the true worship
of God, which is unique to the Catholic religion. Hence, exhort
your faithful to weigh seriously how great an offense they commit
against the supreme Deity and how cruelly they act toward
themselves and their future children when, by rashly contracting a
mixed marriage, they may expose themselves and their children to
the danger of perversion. So that the gravity of such danger may
appear more clearly, recall for them those salutary admonitions of
the Apostles, of the Fathers, and of the canons, which warn that
familiar association with heretics is to be shunned.
Responsibility
of Clergy
7.
But it may happen that these warnings and admonitions go unheeded
and that some Catholic man or woman is unwilling to give up his
perverse intention of entering upon a mixed marriage. If a
dispensation is not requested or not obtained from the Church or
if the necessary conditions or a certain one of them is not
fulfilled, then it will be the duty of the priest to abstain not
only from honoring the marriage itself with his presence, but also
from announcing the marriage and from granting dimissory letters.
You must admonish the priests and demand that they abstain from
every such act. For one who has the care of souls and who acts
differently, especially in the circumstances prevalent in Bavaria,
would seem in some way to approve these illicit marriages by his
actions. His works would encourage the liberty of those souls, a
liberty which is pernicious to their salvation and even to the
cause of faith.
Cases
Involving Divorce
8.
After these things it is hardly necessary to add statements
concerning those other, far more serious, cases of marriages
contracted between Catholics and heretics in which the heretical
party may have a previous partner still living from whom he
separated by divorce. You know how strong by divine law the bond
of marriage is. This bond cannot be broken by human authority.
Therefore, a mixed marriage in such cases is not only illicit, but
entirely invalid and adulterous. The only exception is when the
former marriage, which the heretical party considers dissolved by
divorce, was entirely invalid because of some canonical
impediment. In this last case, not only must all the things which
were said above be observed, but the new marriage must not be
permitted until after the first marriage has been declared invalid
by an ecclesiastical judgment made according to canonical
standards.
9.
These are the things, venerable brothers, which We thought should
be called to your attention in this matter. Meanwhile We do not
cease to ask our omnipotent and merciful God with fervent prayers
to clothe you and all the clergy of Bavaria with virtue from on
high and to cover you with His right hand and defend you with His
holy arm. May the Apostolic Benediction be a pledge of the great
love with which We regard your fraternity in the Lord. We most
lovingly bestow this benediction on you. Distribute it to the
clergy and faithful laity of your dioceses.
[Given
in Rome, at St. Peter's, May 27,
1832, the second year of Our Pontificate.] |
