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VOL,. XXXIX.
PORTLAND, OREGON, . SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL ,4, 1920
NO. 14
lEj f adif i o CJood Omen
Xcebmpnn Easfer 'Brides-
n V'k Portland Girls Marry at Lent's End to Gain Sanctity p , S
II I Ifclvu ' for Joyous Sacrament. - "i L
I V" ' ! J mV'-3. -;j IMtts Si--i?ir. i-Ji'-v
U V V ' I ' V. franc-zJ teffzolic efzzex-cJi.
N. vvr if -kiss y I v i ew$ w f
SfTcdft Sv nN-; v fT ' marriage shall be fitly displayed to I- i'll S ' ' - ? S
" Ov v X ' S--3i! "Y Taking another view and one not 'm5 ? ;'i-.t f i El
. ' ' AV "--- J too extreme in the face of other es- M-- 1 1 ' . ... J, I
' NSNv "S J " a secret or private marriage is no tablished beliefs, the church should 'Tif'" ,"x'Tf It " " "
- - ' ' s. 'j J rt) marriage at all. whether in a civil or have no more right to dissolve mar- T ,' !j v"Zra
. XS. sVt """S 1 I religious aspect. The necessity, the riages than has the state. Once con- wW!si "1 .... ....".' ,7i:-. rsSSf 'V ....
. v C " X C obligations and the blessings of the secrated. the tenure must endure. 2""'-' 1 ' 7
V X ( . 1 rite nave tneir essential roots in umer tnings may oe iransnory, uui 111 ,. s s. .. - . . - m
BT DE WITT HARRY.
rHE traditions of Lent, kept aive
I for centuries by the Roman
Catholic and the Episcopal
churches have never seen a more
practical manifestation than during
the present year. Lent, according to
these two churches, is a time .of pen
ance; a time for the examination of the
innermost conscience and for purg
ing those thoughts and actions which
are antagonistic to the dictates of
true religion. The Lenten period is
looked upon as a time for getting a
fresh etart in the religious sense.
"Repent" calls the church, and the
true believer of those denominations,
which insist upon a rigid observance
of the six-week period, strives his
utmost to do so.
Easter Sunday, ever since the res
urrection of Christ, has been a festi
val of joy. bringing to a fitting end
the six weeks of humility. Now,' in
asmuch as Lent is a time for reflec
tion and examination of the con
fidence, the two old churches noted
above discourage during this time the
festival of marriage.
In the Portland Catholic churches
during the Lenten period it is ex
ceedingly doubtful if marriage bans
have been published in even "an iso
lated instance., While there is no
Episcopal canon against marriage
during Lent, the clergy as a rule do
not perform ceremonies unless abso
lutely imperative and then they are
seldom held in the church. Church
weddings are absolutely barred in the
Roman Catholic church. .
Therefore, for romance carries on
no matter what the period, after the
six-week cessation of marriage cere
monies in these ,two of the largest
denominations, there is always a num
ber of love affairs awaiting their con-
summation. From the Easter period
on in practically every church the
marriage rate increases. Indeed the
fiat is that sanctity is gained for fhis
sacrament by having it during or soon
after the Easter period. Traditions
of good omen accrue at this time so
these marriages are especially popu
lar. In addition there are also the
early spring associations 01 romance
and mating.
In. the Roman Catholic churches of
this diocese, starting last Sunday,
congregations will turn an expectant
ear toward the chancel in order to
learn of impending weddings. Clerks
in charge of license bureaus in the
court house are prepared for an in
crease in their business for the next
few weeks.
Lent Th Mflnraliip 1IaI
I
.Religious meditation and spiritual
discipline are what we strive for dur
ing Lent," said Rev. Father O'Hara of
Paint Joseph's Catholic church. "Fes
tivals are discouraged as much as
possible because it is not a period of
joy. Marriage is a joyful occasion and
not in keeping with the spiritual sea
son of Lent; especially s this true
6f the period from Ash Wednesday to
Easter Sunday."
"The associations of Lent call for
humility and examination of the con
science,'.' Bishop Walter Taylor Sum
ner of the Episcopal diocese says.
"Social festivals, especially dancing,
are practically forbidden during this
time. I know of no cburch marriages
during the'past Lent. Unless there la
a very urgent need or some good rea
son for performing ae ceremony, we
do not do so in the Episcopal church.
However, immediately following Eas
ter Sunday there are a number of
ceremonies scheduled by our clergy,
some of them being of special promi
nence. Always immediately after
Lent there are a number of couples
waiting church sanction for their
union."
Though June will doubtless always
be the popular bridal month, owing to
the early summer season and real
romantic setting, the Easter period
is the time when religious omens at
tach the greater amount of approval
and significance to marriage. Taking
to heart the lessons of Lent, the church
feels that its children will live a more
profitable life in this union if it is
had at this time. During Lent the
church calls on her children for these
things; a fresh start. Godlike service
for others, and sacrifice; all of which
are necessary in achieving a true
marriage. Lent is looked upon as a
true period of the larger love with
Christ's ...example.
Church Teach Intca Kndnre.
The ancient teachings of the church
concerning holy matrimony, its in
dissoluble and inviolable sanctity, are
again being revived. Churches that
wield a great deal of influence among
their devotees are beginning to em
phasize, as never before, the neces-1
sity for "performing the marriage)
vows within proper precincts and
with the official sanction of the
church itself. Doubtless it is hoped
by these means to accentuate the im
perishable character of the matri
monial vows in this period ( indis
criminate dissolution and thereby pre
vent a great number of divorces.
Religious associations of marriage
have been connected with Chris
tianity since the beginning of its era.
Regarded as a divine institution be
cause it begins with and rests upon
holy law, home in its true sense be
longs only to the wedded. All real
domestic life is the result of marriage
and the church strives to bring about
this natural contract which was es
tablished by Almighty God at the
first creation of human beings. Not
only has marriage, essentially re
garded as a religious sacrament, been
jealously guarded in its essential
elements by the church, but the state
early added its sanction to marriage
as a civil contract and civilized laws
have defended it with fidelity. -Mirriam
Trraffd Litchtly.
The clergy of today hold, and
justly it would seem, that this holy
state is regarded too lightly, when
in reality it is elevated to the dignity
of sacramental honor and virtue in
the Christian church.
Going back into the lore connected
with the matrimonial state many
strange and applicable beliefs are
found. For Instance, It Is held that
a secret or private marriage is no
marriage at all. whether in a civil or
religious aspect. The necessity, the
obligations and the blessings of the
rite have their essential roots in
society at large and are matters on
which the rights and happiness of
others may be quite as dependent as
are the rights and happiness of the
parties themselves. In a moral and
religious view publicity is held in
some degree both a test and a guar
anty of virtue. " In other words canon
law holds that what is pure and good
seeks or willingly abides the knowl
edge of man.
The Hebrews have a saying that he
Is not a man who has not a woman.
In the Jewish church man and wife
as the stock and scion, are grafted
by marriage and bear fruit to the
world". They are- the first link of
human society to which all the rest
are joined. Marriages are consented
to above but consummated below.
Chorrh Demand Obedience.
Taking the stand that, the solemn
benedictions of the church are nec
essary and essential to a proper mar'
riage, we find that many people are
prone to deny the religious aspect
of the ceremony, treating it merely
as a civil contract. In some essentials
this is so. inasmuch as it coutrols the
property rights-of the parties con
cerned and. guards the social standing
of the woman. However, marriage Is
not a thing of human institution nor
does it Beem, in its 'fullest sense,
competent for human law to forbid
or do away with it. This is one of
the main tenets of the Roman Catho
lie church in their fight for religious
control of this relation.
Easter time, when mankind, purged
of -sin by wholesome observance of
precepts established by divine exam
pie, is set for by the church as one
of the most auspicious occasions for
the welding of the. marriage ties.
Blessed indeed are these marriages
held on account of the seasonal be
liefs that accompany them. Church
blessing, so essential to all canons, is
held much more necessary than mere
agreement.. They point out . that the
first marriage, that between Adam
and Eve, was solemnized by God him
self and quote again and again the
pregnant phrase, "What, therefore
God hath joined together, let no man
put asunder," and hold It unquestion
ably within the domain of the church
The sphere of religion, according to
all established "tenets, fully and com
pletely contains the aspect by which
marriage shall be fitly displayed to
men.
Taking another view and one not
too extreme in the face of other es-1
tablished beliefs, the church should
have no more right to dissolve mar
riages than has the state. Once con
secrated, the tenure must endure.
Other things may be transitory, but
marriage is, in its abstract sense at
least, lasting.. Sacred associations so
completely, surround the nuptial idea
that nearly every country has some
observance which accentuates the
mystic side of the rite. Generally it
Is esteemed and reverenced and the
teachings of the church adhered to
as to seasonal omens. Even in hea
then practices there was some set time
and form for the observance of troth
plighting.
It. has been erroneously asserted
and often copied in the supposed In
terests of the civil contract theory
that the scriptures, old and new.
make no mention of religious rites;
that the Hebrew people' and all the
ante-Christian church, as far as we
know, celebrated the ordinance with
civil and social ceremonies only. The
truth is that marriage has always
been held by the Hebrews as a sacred
rite and solemnized among them with
true religious ceremonies. However,
the Hebrew church also did not en
courage marriage during religious
feast periods or times of absolution,
or when they interfered with the reg
ular worship of the church. Double
ceremonies, that of the social and
civil aspect first followed by the re
ligious, have 6een known for ages.
Benediction has always been held by
the Jews as one of the main elements
entering into the ceremony.
Time CtusM Practices.
In minor particulars the solemni
ties of Christian marriage and meth
ods of observance have differed in
different ages and countries. Peculiar
ities of race and climate, national as
sociation and sentiment and of civil
Institutions and local traditions have
wrought Interesting diversions.. Nev
ertheless the recognized form of rite
has remained the same the world over
down through the eras. For instance,
in the majority of the evangelistic
Protestant churches Lenten canons
against marriage are not recognized
and they are performed just the same
at this time as at any other period
in the religious calendar. ,
One Tlmr In lllght.
Frequently In the prayer books oc
curs the plii-a.su "At the day and time
appointed for the solemnization of
matrimony." This Is little nndc,--
Trinity Zpzscop&Z Czutc
Proctor, one of the recognized reli
gious authorities, as follows:
"Marriage being an occasion of re
joicing, it was forbidden in the fourth
century during the solemn fast of
Lent; and also in the 11th century at
many other seasons also. The only
seasons now prohibited, not indeed by
law. but by custem and propriety, are
Lent and any occasion of a public
fast." Page 398, Am. Ed.
Ask many people what is the cor
rect time to be married and they say
"high noon," not knowing what is the
reason. Indeed the right time for the
ceremony, according to custom, is be
tween the hours of 8 and 12 in the
morning. This arises from ecclesias
tical law, unknown to American Insti
tutions, but prevailing in the British
Empire. This is held to be the one
period in the 24 hours when the most
serious business of life is best per-,
formed, when the judgment Is clear
est, the passions calmest and one is
the least likely to be hurried into a
momentary . act for lifelong repent
ance. ' These are also held to the most
public hours, so far as one time can
propely be aid: to be more public
than another between sunrise and
sunset.
Man Become Honateband.
Then after the marriage the man
emerges as a houseband, commonly
called husband, an artificial name
given to designate the public, tech
nical, legal and commercial relations
and regarded as the antithesis of
wife. When pronounced man and
wife the judicial sentence conveys an
exquisite touch of delicacy and truth
often overlooked in that man is thus
said to receive the whole nature and
office of the wife into his waiting
bosom, sensible of no line of demarca
tion or contrast or foreign elements
whatever, but only of a felicitous fill
ing out of an otherwise unsatisfying
and unnatural void.
Another phase of the ceremony of
ten glossed over Is that it must be
held In. a tiuing place and in the
presence of the fr'eiiUd and neigh
bors of the contracting parties. This
stood, but an analysis is civea by ' is for the reason Uiat all ehall kaoi
that the two have espoused each
other". In this sense no place is more
fitting for the observance than the
church, and then In order comes the
home-of the bride's father or that of
a friend. An authority states that
either of these three places is much
more to be desired on every ground
of propriety and sentiment than are
the woods, or an open lawn, an hotel
parlor, a stage coach or an ascending
balloon. This man goes on to say
that it Is often forgotten, when the
proprieties are thus ignored, that they
are not founded in mere human ca-
J price or taste, but in a humble and
due respect to the great Being who
is the only source to whom mankind
looks for the felicity which a mar
riage duly contracted and conducted
is capable of yielding. .
Then, in the church, the man stands .
on the right side for the reason that
in church annals this seems to rest
with the restoration of the woman in
the family and the church. This prac
tice comes from the far recurrence of
the belief that woman was taken from
the side, of man nearest his heart and
needs his protection and belongs on
this side. The position of the man
at the right side Is the natural one
for protection, as man inevitably
grasps the object to be cherished
with the left hand, leaving the right
free to repel assault or ward off dan
ger. In a passage of scripture the
bride says "His left hand shall be
under my head and his right should
embrace me."
And this week the jewelers will
again garnish their display windows
with engagement and wedding rings,
for this token will once more spring
into favor. In the wedding ceremony
the ring is regarded as a seal and
confirms the lifelong tenure of the
vows assumed by the most irrevoca
ble sanction known to human cove
nants. The ring is thus the perpetual
pledge and reminder of the inviolable
agreement. In the wedding circlet
gold is generally recognized as the
most fitting material, as it is reputed
to be the most unchangeable of
metals. J is the inviolable ea.l nf
personal Lito,
98.0v