The Re cord John
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Why there was LONDON: reason
-
The
due to meet this month.
that Baroness
Von Reibnitz was not al'owed a Catholic wedding was because Prince Michael had stated in writing that their children were to be raised as Anglicans. Such a statement made it impossible for Baroness Von Reibniltz to promise with sincerity that she would do all in her power to raise her children as Catholics. (This is the current requirement of the Catholic
church. See page 3). The feeling among many Anglican Church leaders last week was that in the circumstances the Pope had no choice but to adhere strictly to the Church's teaching on mixed marriages although many felt that the regulations them-
Catholic Ely ALEX
COSURAVE and JOHN CAREY
of the Catholic Herold, London may have been prompted by some comments made by the baroness to the British Press when the engagement was announced.
"With this new ecumenical spirit I think it is Christians vs. the rest," "The selves should be relaxed. Times" quoted her as sayCONRICT ing, "and it does not matter The dispensation was re- which dub you belong to." fused because Prince By marrying a Roman Michael's written undertaking to bring up his children as Anglicans conflicted with the baroness's promise to "do all in her power" to see that they were baptised and educated as Catholics. A Vatican official in the Secretariat of Christian unity in Rome said last week that the had baroness written a perfectly acceptable letter to the Holy See in which she had declared that she would do all in her power to bring up her children in the Catholic Faith. POPE'S POSITION "Had the matter remained at this, the Pope would have certainly given the required authorisation for a Catholic Church wedding," he said.
"But
when
the
Prince
puts his determination into writing the matter changes and the Pope no longer had any power to change basic
Church rules." The
Vatican
decision
to the British throne gives up his right to the
throne.
of nullity. Therefore in its eyes the baroness is a divorcee and as such may not be "remarried" in an Anglican
he said.
The case does, however, questions about the Act of Succession which still debars Catholics from succeeding to the throne almost 150 years after they were "emancipated." In the Church of England in Britain currently, a divorcee is ineligible for a church wedding. Practice varies in Anglican dioceses in Australia. In the Anglican archdiocese of Perth the archbishop gives permission for the remarriage of divorcees within certain raise
regulations; in the case of a
promiseCatho-
MICHAEL of Kent (35), pictured with Baroness Marie-Chris:ine Prince
son REIBNITZ I33), who were married a civil
ceremony in the iVenna Town Hall last Friday. Prince Michael, formerly sixteenth in line of succession to the British Throne is first cousin to Queen Elizabeth H.
Breakthrough' on sacraments
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happens to be an Anglican." Prince Michael was how-
A statement by Archbishop Goody on the giving of cammunion ever caught by the Act of and confirmation to handicapped children has been we'comed warmly Succession. Having renounced his and called a "breakthrough." own right to succession to the throne to marry a
This week Archbishop Goody announced that in the . case of handicapped wished to safeguard his children, the usual norms children's royal rights. governing communion could Because of the historic be set aside if the faith of links between royalty and the family was in evidence. the Church of England, and Catholic Church law rebc..,:,,use no Catholic may quires that a person receiving communion have sufficient knowledge that it is truly the Body of Christ. With handicapped children it is not always possible to test the degree to
Catholic,
he
obviously
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On the Church of England side the prince and baroness are prevented from marrying in an Anglican Church because the Church of England does not recognise a Catholic decree
Dr. Stuart Blanch, Anglican Archbishop of York, said last week that already in many circles there were very tender feelings about the Catholic Church's policy on mixed marriages, "But I don't believe that this particular case either assist or retards unity. I don't see how the Pope could have varied the rules just to suit this situation,"
church in England, accord- Catholic it would include Baroness von Reibnitz ing to present regulations. the provision that a said that the children's AnA proposal to change I,i,c. has not been glican upbringing was not these regulations is on the made. an attempt to keep their agenda of the general synod (II SEE ALSO PAGE 3) rights to succession. "If we minded about it, Prince Michael would not be marrying me," "The Guardian" quoted her as saying. "I think it is a question of who is head of the family, and in this case the head of the family
WERE YoUR OF PEOPLE!
lb
If
-
Catholic, Prince Michael 16th in line for succession
to the throne, it would have been necessary that the children were baptised Anglicans. succeed
Furthermore, under the law of England, a member of the Royal Family cannot marry in a registry office in England.
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which they may have this awareness. The Archbishop also opened up the possibility of
confirmation for handicapped children in individual cases. Mrs. Vicki de Haas, one of whose five children is the handicapped, called statement "an answer to prayer" and a breakthough for the Committee for Catholic Care of the Handicapped. Although the committee had been formed only a year ago, they had not expected such a clear statement so soon, she said. The committee was .
formed
as a result of con- family but of God's family" cern by parents that these she said. handicapped children were Emphasis in the statenot receiving the sacra- ment on the faith of the ments of the Church. family supplementing the Father Barry Hickey, faith of the child also drew director of Centrccare, a favourable response from suggested to the parents that Mrs. de Haas. they should come together and meet as a group at MIME MERrn "For parents it means an Clontarf, in conjunction with Father I. O'Brien and acceptance by the Church
of their children. Brother A.C. Daily. "For other children in Sister Florence and other Religious have also joined the family it will he s sins that in the eyes of God the the group. As a result of the meet- handicapped child is just as ings a confirmation cere- normal as they, although mony was held in Clontarf suffering from a different chapel at the end of last handicap. "Introducing handicapped year during which Bishop Healy confirmed 25 people. children 10 the sacraments will show the parents that IN "GOD'S FAM'LY" their child is. not a holy Mrs. de Haas said that angel and needs grace from parents in the past had ex- the sacraments,". hse said. perienced difficulty over "On the editor hand, it their children's first com- will indicate that such chilmunion and confirmation dren are not the result of due to misunderstanding sin or evil on the part of and lack of knowledge on the parents, as once was the part of parents and believed." priests. Mrs. de Haas rejected "The statement shows the popular idea that handithat the intellectually handi- capped children were not capped are going to part "normal" in the eyes of not only of the ordinary CONTINUED PAGE 2) .
(
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