of Betrothal and Marriage according to the Ne Temere Decree.”  Throughout his book the author cites the original language of the papal deliverance.  The decree reaffirms, in the first place, the decree of the Council of Trent, to this effect:  “The Holy Congregation declares any person who dares to enter into the estate of matrimony, except upon license from the parish priest or of some other priest of the same parish, or of the ordinary, and of two or three witnesses, incapacitated for such a contract, and contracts of this kind are declared null and void.” (p.9.)

Regarding betrothals the decree declares:  “Only such betrothals are regarded as valid and efficacious, according to the law of the Church, as are set down in a document signed by the contracting parties and by the parish priest, or the local ordinary, and by at least two witnesses.”

Regarding marriage the decree hands down the following ruling:  “Only such marriages are valid as are entered into in the presence of the parish priest, or the local ordinary, or of a priest delegated for the purpose by either of these, and of two witnesses.”  Again:  “To the above law are amenable all persons baptized in the Catholic Church, also who have joined the Catholic Church from errorist or schismatic societies (notwithstanding the fact that either former or the latter have apostatized later) whenever they entered into betrothal or matrimony.”  Lastly:  “The laws apply to the aforenamed Catholics whenever they enter into betrothal or matrimony with non-Catholics, baptized or not, even when they have obtained a dispensation from the obstacle of a mixed religion or of a disparity of cult; except the Holy See decrees otherwise for a certain or locality.”

The operations of this decree have been peculiar.  Some countries as Germany and Belgium, promptly secured exemption from it.  In Canada the decree has caused law suits.  One of them, Morin vs.  Le Croix, was tried in Justice Greenshield’s court at Montreal, June 21, 1912.  The judge in his ruling said; “No Church, be it the powerful Roman Catholic Church, or the equally great and powerful Anglican Catholic Church, possesses any authority to overrule the civil law.  Such authority as any Church has (in the matter of marriages) is given it by the civil law and is subservient to the civil law.”

The Protestant Magazine, in Vol.  IV, No. 2, published a facsimile of a baptismal certificate for Anna Susanna Dagonya, daughter of Stephen Dagonya, Roman Catholic, and Mary Csoma, Reformed, who were married at Perth Amboy, N. J., August 4, 1909, by Rev. Louis Nannassy, Reformed.  Their child was born November 6, 1910, and baptized by Rev. Francis Gross, priest of the Holy Cross Church at Perth Amboy.  In writing out the baptismal certificate, the priest has stated that the child is illegitimate, and that the parents are living in concubinage.