The reaction of the Church in Austria to the new marriage laws which make civil marriages obligatory has been unperturbed.
The clergy have been advised, in order to avoid future difficulties, to make certain before giving the nuptial blming, that a civil marriage has been previously performed. The nuptial blessing must follow immediately the civil marriage so that there may be no impression that the civil marriage alone is enough.
The legalising of divorce is of course disapproved, but for the rest no comment on the new marriage laws is made.—C.P.