because it was performed while the first husband was still living.  She must leave the second man and go back to her husband.  You see in that case the Church was not dissolving or breaking the marriage bond, but only declaring that the woman and second man were not married from the very beginning, although they thought they were, being ignorant of the existing impediment, and the priest also being deceived performed the ceremony in the usual manner.  If it ever happens, therefore, that you hear of the Church permitting persons, already apparently married, to separate and marry others, it is only when it discovers that their first marriage was invalid, and by its action it does not dissolve the bond of marriage, but simply declares that the marriage was null and void from the beginning, as you now easily understand.  Thus persons might unwittingly marry with existing impediments that would render their marriage invalid or illicit.  Such things, however, happen very rarely, for the priest would discover the impediments in questioning the persons about to marry.

Protestants and persons outside the Catholic Church teach that the marriage bond can at times be dissolved, but such doctrines bring great evil upon society.  When the father and mother separate and marry again, the children of the first marriage are left to take care of themselves, or receive only such care as the law gives them.  They are left without Christian instruction and the good influence of home.  Then persons who are divorced once may be divorced a second or third time, and thus all society would be thrown into a state of confusion, and there would be scarcely any such thing as a family to be found.  It is bad enough at present, on account of divorces granted by the laws and upheld by Protestants; and only for the influence and good public opinion created by the teaching and opposition of the Catholic Church, it would be much worse.  Again, if husbands and wives could separate for this or that fault, they would not be careful in making their choice of the person they wish to marry, nor would their motives be always holy and worthy of the Sacrament.

285 Q. Which are the effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony?  A. The effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony are:  first, to sanctify the love of husband and wife; second, to give them grace to bear with each other’s weaknesses; third, to enable them to bring up their children in the fear and love of God.

The union and love existing between a husband and wife should be like the union and love existing between Our Lord and His Church.  The grace of the Sacrament helps them to have such a love.  “Weaknesses”—­that is, their faults, bad dispositions, etc.  “Bring up their children.”  This is their most important duty, and parents receive grace to perform it, and woe be to them if they abuse that grace!  Children should remember that their parents have received this special grace from God to advise, direct, and warn them of sin; and if they refuse to