Cardinal Gibbons, in a letter to the National League for the Civic Education of Women--an anti-suffrage organisation--said that "woman suffrage, if realised, would be the death-blow of domestic life and happiness" (Nov. 2, 1909).
Rev. William Humphrey, S.J., in his _Christian Marriage_, chap. 16, remarks that woman is "the subordinate equal of man"--whatever that means.
A few Roman Catholic prelates, like Cardinal Moran, have advocated equal suffrage, but they are in the minority. The Pope has not yet definitely stated the position of the Church; individual Catholics are free to take any side they wish, as it is not a matter of faith; but the tendency of Roman Catholicism is against votes for women.
I. Corpus Iuris Canonici: recognovit Aemilius Friedberg. Lipsiae (Tauchnitz) Pars Prior, 1879. Pars Secunda, 1881.
II. Sacrosanctum Concilium Tridentinum, additis Declarationibus Cardinalium, Concilii Interpretum, ex ultima recognitione Joannis Gallemart, etc. Coloniae Agrippinae, apud Franciscum Metternich, Bibliopolam. MDCCXXVII.
III. The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York, Robert Appleton Company. (Published with the _Imprimatur_ of Archbishop Parley.)
IV. Various articles by Catholic prelates, due references to which are given as they occur.
[366] Augustine quoted by Gratian, _Causa_, 33, _Quaest_. 5, chapters 12-16--Friedberg, i, pp. 1254, 1255. Ambrose and Jerome on the same matter, ibid., _c_. 15 and 17, Friedberg, i, p. 1255. Gratian, _Causa_ 30, _Quaest_. 5, _c_. 7--Friedberg, i, p. 1106: Feminae dum maritantur, ideo velantur, ut noverint se semper viris suis subditas esse et humiles.
[367] Gratian, _Distinctio_, 30, _c_. 2--Friedberg, i, p. 107: Quecumque mulier, religioni iudicans convenire, comam sibi amputaverit quam Deus ad velamen eius et ad memoriam subiectionis illi dedit, tanquam resolvens ius subiectionis, anathema sit. Cf. Gratian, _Causa_, 15, _Quaest_. 3--Friedberg, i, p. 750.
[368] Gratian, _Dist_., 30, _c_. 6, Friedberg, i, p. 108. See also _Deuteronomy_ xxii, 5.
[369] Gratian, _Dist_., 23, _c_. 29--Friedberg, i, p. 86: Mulier, quamvis docta et sancta, viros in conventu docere non praesumat.
[370] Id., _Causa_, 15, _Quaest_. 3--Friedberg, i, p. 750.
[371] Id., _Causa_, 20, _Quaest_. 1, _c_. 2--Friedberg, i, pp. 843-844, quoting Gregory to Augustine, the Bishop of the Angles: Addidistis adhuc, quod si pater vel mater filium filiamve intra septa monasterii in infantiae annis sub regulari tradiderunt disciplina, utrum liceat eis, postquam ad pubertatis inoleverint annos, egredi, et matrimonio copulari. Hoe omnino devitamus, quia nefas est ut oblatis a parentibus Deo filiis voluptatis frena relaxentur. Id., _c_. 4--Fried., i, p. 844: quoting Isidore--quicumque a parentibus propriis in monasterio fuerit delegatus, noverit se ibi perpetuo mansurum. Nam Anna Samuel puerum suum natum et ablactatum Deo pietate obtulit. Id., _c_. 7--Fried., i, pp. 844-845.