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Given by His
Holiness Pope Gregory XVI
May 27, 1832
Venerable Brothers,
Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.
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 toes, 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 wellknown precept of the natural and divine law, which
commands us to avoid not only sins but the next 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 under the ring of the Fisherman, May 27, 1832,
the second year of Our Pontificate. |
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