The Daily News Of The Virgin Islands

HIGH ALTAR
Above is the High Altar of Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. Part two of Bishop Harper's Easter letter will be read here and at all Cathedral churches in the Virgin Islands. Part one was read Apr. 29.

Part II,
Bishop Harper's Easter Pastoral Letter

Following is part two of the text of Catholic Bishop Harper's Easter pastoral letter. Part one concluded, "divorce, contraception, abortion, sterilization, adultery have caused the breakdown of family life, and have brought on a train of further evils, juvenile delinquency, addiction to drugs, promiscuity, illegitimacy, disregard for the law of God, disrespect for human authority."

To offset these grave evils and influences, we must find suitable remedies by which we can remove these abuses so that marriage may again be revered everywhere. In order to restore marriage to its proper place, it is necessary that all of us should bear in mind what is the Divine plan and strive to conform our lives to it. We all know that the chief obstacle to this conformity to the divine plan in regard to marriage is passion and unbridled lust. Man cannot hold in check his passions, unless he first subjects himself to God. Therefore subjection to God must be his primary endeavor. "Whosoever shall first subject himself to God, will, by the aid of Divine grace be able to subject his own passions and concupiscence. He who is a rebel against God, will, to his sorrow, experience within himself the violent rebellion of his worst passions." (Christian Marriage, page 44).

"Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves." (Romans, 1-24).

Therefore it is most necessary "that those who are joined in the bond of matrimony should be filled with a profound and genuine sense of duty towards God, which will shape their whole lives and fill their minds and wills with a very deep reverence for the majesty of God." (Christian Marriage, p. 53).

And since to restore marriage to its proper dignity we have to conform to the Divine Plan, it is indeed of the utmost importance that the Faithful should know the teaching of God and the Church concerning matrimony; that it was instituted, not by man, but by God, that the laws made to strengthen it were made, not by man, but by God. They should know that true marriage is a sacred partnership constituted both by the will of God and the will of man. "From God comes the very institution of marriage, the ends for which it was instituted, the laws that govern it, the blessings that flow from it. From man comes the free and generous surrender of one person to another for the whole span of life. By matrimony the souls of the contracting parties are joined and knitted together more directly and more intimately than their bodies, and that, not by any passing affection, but by the deliberate and firm act of the will. From this union of their souls, by God's decree, a sacred and inviolable bond arises." (Christian Marriage, 23-24).

"What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." Matthew 19-6; Mark 10-9). As Christ is joined to His Church, so man and wife are joined together as St. Paul teaches us: "Let women be subject to their husbands as to the Lord: because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is head of the Church .. ." Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ so let the wives be to their husbands . . . Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the Church." (Ephesians, 5-22-25).

"Hence, the nature of this contract, which is proper and peculiar to it alone, makes it entirely different both from the union of animals entered into by the blind instinct of nature in which neither reason nor free will plays a part, and also from those haphazard illicit unions of men and women which are far removed from all true and honorable unions of wills and which enjoy none of the rights of family life." (Christian Marriage, p. 23).

In order to restore the sacredness of marriage, the Faithful should know that offspring are not a burden of marriage. Granted, they mean more responsibility, more struggle, more economic care, but even so, offspring are the blessing of marriage. The Catholic husband and wife receive their children with gratitude from the hand of God. Through Baptism they joyfully bring supernatural life to their children and make them members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Through a Christian education they make their children worthy members of that Mystical Body, and prepare to restore them to God, to take their place among the saints of God. Catholic parents should know that the blessing of offspring is not completed with begetting them. Children cannot take care of themselves in natural life. They have to be watched, taught, and educated, and much more so in the supernatural life. Catholics will recognize that children are better cared for in both the natural and supernatural way when the bond of marriage is permanent. For then there is security in the home. Catholics will recognize that "the duty entrusted to parents is of such high dignity and of such great importance that every use of the faculty given by God for the procreation of new life is the right and privilege of the marriage state alone. and this by the law of God and nature. and must be confined absolutely within the sacred limits of the married state (Christian Marriage, p. 58).

To look forward to permanence in marriage, a wholesome family life, and a home where the presence of God will be continually felt, preparation is needed. "It can not be denied that the basis of a happy marriage, and the ruin of an unhappy one. has its foundation in the souls of boys and girls during the period of childhood and adolescence. There is the danger that those who before marriage sought their own selfish will in everything, partook of every material comfort. indulged their every impure desire, will be in the married state what they were before. They will reap what they have sown. In their homes there will be sin, strife, contempt for their partner weariness of sacrifice and estrangements. And worst of all such parties will find themselves left alone with their own unconquered passions." (Christian Marriage, p. 27).

Also for permanence in married life, special care must be taken in choosing a partner. "On that depends a great deal whether the forthcoming marriage will be happy or not, since one may be to the other either a great help in leading a Christian life. or on the other hand. a great hindrance." (Christian Marriage. 59) This is so often the case in mixed marriages. In order that those about to enter marriage will not "deplore for the rest of their lives the sorrows arising from an indiscreet marriage. they should carefully deliberate in choosing the person with whom they must live." (Christian Marriage, p. 59-60). During the time of choosing a partner they must resort to prayer to guide them in making the right choice. They must be guided not by lust, nor by riches, nor by a passing infatuation. They must ask the prudent advice of their parents. They must plan for economic stability and security and the means to support a family. How carefully and seriously will Catholic people prepare for marriage when they realize that Christ has made it a sacrament, which opens for themselves a treasure of sacramental grace from which they draw supernatural power for the fulfilling of their rights and duties faithfully, holily, perseveringly even unto death. Besides increasing sanctifying grace in the souls of the partners, this sacrament also adds particular gifts, dispositions, actual grace. It elevates and perfects the natural powers. "It perfects natural love, it confirms an indissoluble union, and sanctifies both man and wife." (Council of Trent, Session XXIV). It gives them in fine, right to the actual assistance of grace. whensoever they need it for fulfilling the duties of their state. These, my dearly beloved brethren. are but echoes of the words and counsels of Pope Pius XI, of loving memory. We thought them appropriate in these days when. looking on Christ. our Risen Savior, we want to restore all things in Him. It is above all necessary here in our beloved Virgin Islands that here be a restoration of the ideal of sacred marriage. and that we restore marriage to God. the Author and Law Maker of marriage. through Christ and the teachings of His Church. May the Risen Savior bless you all, and make His presence felt in all your homes and in the hearts of each member of your families. We bless you in the name of the Father. and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Edward J. Harper, CSS.R.
Titular Bishop of Heraclea Pontica,
Prelate Nullius of the Virgin Islands