Church requires. Where, for instance, a law requiring civil marriage is in force, the Church allows the form to be gone through with, merely instructing her members to regard this form as a mere contract of betrothal, to be ratified by the subsequent marriage in the Church; the State makes no objection to this subsequent marriage, regarding it simply as a religious ceremony, no more to be prohibited than the reception of Holy Communion on the occasion would be.

If Catholics, then, would be obedient to the Church, the State would have no complications to fear; and it has no reasonable grounds of complaint against the Church, which is always ready to reinforce any prudent provisions which the civil law may make on this or any other subject. If the State, for instance, does not recognize marriages as valid between minors, the Church will, for obvious reasons of prudence, see, so far as possible, that Catholics do not contract such marriages; or if a civil license is required, the Church will see that it is obtained. The very watchfulness of the Church in this matter, which requires a careful inquiry into the circumstances of a marriage before allowing it to be contracted, though mainly intended to secure the observance of her own laws, is of great assistance to the carrying out of those of the State as well.

As a special instance of this may be mentioned the law of the Church requiring the publication of the banns, as they are called, before marriage. This proceeding, as of course it is no part of the Divine Law, may be, and often is dispensed, if reason seems to exist for doing so; but it is insisted on more and more at present, and undoubtedly will be unless some more effectual way of accomplishing the same result shall be substituted for it.

MANS

CHAPTER XXVIII.

USE OF THE LATIN LANGUAGE.

ANY object to us that the services of the Church are conducted, as a rule, in a language not understood by the people. As they have a deeply rooted idea that it is an essential part of our plan to keep the people in ignorance, this seems to them to give their idea strong confirmation. Some-and even well educated persons-imagine, astonishing as it appears to us, that we preach in Latin! We feel flattered, of course, by such a compliment to our classical scholarship, though we feel it to be quite undeserved, for it is safe to say that the number of priests, in this country at least, capable of such an achievement, would be quite

inadequate to furnish the multitude of sermons given in our churches.

But the notion is an admirable instance of the force of the long-established prejudice under which our Protestant brethren labor. One would think they would ask themselves, why we should preach in Latin; what would be our deep-laid scheme in doing so? It is hard to conceive of any, except to impress the people with our learning; and surely this could be more easily accomplished in some other

way.

It ought to be hardly necessary, then, to say that we do not preach in Latin, unless on occasions, as for instance at great councils of the Church, when that language will on the whole be better understood than any other. It is for this reason, that of better understanding by the mass of those addressed, that our theological books for the use of the clergy are written, as a rule, in Latin; because they are written not for the clergy of one nation, but for all nations; and all the clergy are supposed to have enough learning to understand a book in Latin, though not perhaps to preach in that language; whereas it would be unreasonable to expect every one to understand English or German, to say nothing of the objection other nations might have to see one so preferred. Indeed, the same plan was followed till quite lately in scientific

books, intended to be read by scientific men throughout the world.

But, to return to the original question, Why is Latin used in the Church services? Does not this prevent the people from following the service intelligently, and indeed from knowing what is going on?

use

Not at all. For those who are able to read can easily find just the precise meaning of the words the priest is saying, by means of the translations put in the common prayer-books; and those who cannot read can have translations read to them. What a pity it is that you cannot get rid of this curious notion that we have secrets which we want to keep back from the people! You have only to get a prayer-book at the nearest Catholic book-store, or borrow one, and you will find the services of the Church given as far as possible; though of course there are smaller books, which many prefer, in which there are other devotions instead.

I say that in the prayer-books the services of the Church are given as far as possible; but it is really not possible, owing to the shiftings which have to be made to adjust the fixed and the movable calendar, to give all the details of those prayers which are changed from day to day. Still, missals for the laity are published, which enable this to be done to a considerable extent, and those who wish can use them. It

is found, however, that most people prefer to use other prayers appropriate to the time, and not to be obliged to follow exactly on the lines and rules which the priest has to observe. But there are plenty of occasions on which the service, being of a somewhat simpler character, can be, and is intended to be, followed word by word; so that those who specially enjoy this form of worship have an ample opportunity to gratify their taste.

One special reason why it is unadvisable that the prayers of the more important part of the Mass should be said aloud like those used on the occasions of which I have just spoken, and the prayers in Protestant churches generally, and especially why it would not be well to say them in the vernacular or common language of the people is, that the Mass, as it must be remembered, is our Communion service. Now, in Protestant churches only a certain select number of the whole congregation are present at this service; and all of them are presumed to be in specially reverent and attentive dispositions, prepared to understand the service, and to join in it piously. But it is quite otherwise with the Catholic Mass. All Catholics are not only requested, but required to be present at it on Sundays and holydays of obligation; and non-Catholics may also well be there, many of whom may know nothing, or next to nothing,