Roman Catholic Marriage Jurisdiction in Canada
The Roman Catholic Church in Canada claims that “under the treaty ceding Canada to the British, the powers of the old Roman Catholic ecclesiastical courts were continued in full force.” A certain Mr. and Mrs. Delpit, both Roman Catholics, had been married and had lived together as man and wife for several years. Having become tired of his wife, Mr. Delpit “obtained from the ecclesiastical courts a decree annulling the marriage, and thereupon applied to the civil courts for a recognition of the validity of that decree. In the decision rendered by Judge Archibald it is settled that the claim of the Church to exercise civil jurisdiction in questions of marriage, is absolutely without foundation; that the decree of the ecclesiastical court in Delpit’s case is legally null; and that Delpit’s marriage stands.” Good!