Michael Brooks
The Catholic Church considers a marriage to be valid and complete when it is ratified and consummated. Consummation is the bodily act that expresses in a one-flesh fashion what the spouses consented to on the altar. The Church teaches that a validly contracted sacramental marriage is accompanied by divine ratification, creating a virtually indissoluble union until the couple consummates it. While the use of contraception is discouraged, the Church considers a marriage consummated even if contraception was used, as long as the act was consensual. However, the perpetual use of contraception may call into question the validity of the marriage. If a marriage is ratified but not consummated, it can be annulled or dissolved.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholic Church's view on consummation | The Catholic Church teaches that a sacramental marriage is accompanied by divine ratification, creating a virtually indissoluble union until the couple consummates their marriage. |
| Consummation and annulment | A ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any power or cause other than death. If a marriage is ratified but not consummated, it can be annulled or dissolved. |
| Contraception and consummation | The use of contraception may question the validity of the marriage. However, if the marital act takes place, even with contraception, the marriage is considered consummated. |
| Virginity and marriage | The Catholic Church values virginity and celibacy over marriage, as seen in the teachings of Paul and the Council of Trent. |
| Consent and consummation | Marriage in the Catholic Church is based on the consent of partners and an act that unites them into one flesh. The consent occurs during the exchange of vows, and the union is completed through the consummation of the marriage. |
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What You'll Learn
Contraception and consummation
The Catholic Church teaches against the use of contraception. However, this does not mean that a marriage cannot be consummated if a couple uses contraception. According to Catholic theology, a marriage is consummated when the spouses engage in the marital act, even if contraception is used. The use of contraception does not impede the husband from depositing semen in his wife's vagina, which is considered essential to consummation.
In the eyes of the Catholic Church, a validly contracted sacramental marriage is accompanied by divine ratification, creating an indissoluble union until the couple consummates their marriage. The consent takes place at the altar when the partners exchange vows. If they intend to enter an indissoluble union and have no other impediments, their consent creates a "ratified" marriage, which becomes complete when the spouses consummate their marriage through a bodily act.
If a marriage is ratified and consummated, it cannot be dissolved by any power or cause other than death. However, if a marriage is ratified but not consummated, it can be annulled or dissolved. A "ratum sed non consummatum" marriage, or a marriage that has been ratified but not consummated, can be dissolved by the Church. This is different from an annulment, which states that the marriage never existed.
The use of contraception may raise questions about the validity of a marriage, especially if it is used perpetually and the couple is not open to life. However, the occasional use of contraception, such as on a wedding night, would still be considered a valid and consummated marriage as long as the couple engages in the marital act.
While the Catholic Church teaches against contraception, the specific act of consummation is more closely related to the intention and freedom of the spouses. If one spouse forces intercourse against the other's will, it is considered non-marital and, therefore, not consummatory. Similarly, if the use of contraception is intended to make the act of intercourse sterile, it is also considered non-marital and does not fulfill the requirements for marital consummation.
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Dissolution vs annulment
In the Catholic Church, a valid marriage is a lifelong bond. Dissolution and annulment are two different ways in which a marriage can be ended.
Dissolution, or divorce, is a civil law concept that concerns the legal effects of marriage. It is a recognition that a marriage has ended and allows the divorced persons to remarry. The Catholic Church does not recognise divorce, and so a divorced person must obtain a declaration of nullity, or annulment, before marrying again in the Catholic Church.
An annulment, or declaration of nullity, is a judgement by a Church tribunal, or Catholic Church court, that a marriage is invalid according to Church law. This means that the marriage fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union. These essential elements include the intention to marry for life, to be faithful, and to be open to having and raising children, as well as the presence of two witnesses and a properly authorised Church minister at the giving of consent. A marriage can also be declared null if it is found to have been invalidly contracted, for example, if the marriage ceremony was invalid or if there was a defect of intent on either side.
The process for obtaining a declaration of nullity can be misunderstood. It is not the dissolution of an existing marriage, but rather a determination that a true marriage never existed in the eyes of the Church. Marriages declared null are considered void ab initio, meaning the marriage was invalid from the beginning. This does not affect the legitimacy of any children born following the wedding, and parental obligations remain.
While the Catholic Church does not recognise divorce, it does respect the marriages of non-Catholics and presumes them to be valid. It also accepts the annulment processes of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and an annulment granted by an Orthodox tribunal would be accepted by a marriage tribunal in the Catholic Church.
To summarise, dissolution, or divorce, is a civil law concept that ends a marriage and allows remarriage, while annulment, or declaration of nullity, is a judgement by a Church tribunal that a marriage is invalid according to Catholic Church law. A divorced person must obtain an annulment before remarrying in the Catholic Church.
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Validity of marriage
In Catholic theology, a marriage is considered valid when it is a sacramental union between a man and a woman, witnessed by the Church. This is referred to as a "ratified" marriage, which becomes complete or "consummated" through sexual intercourse. The physical act of consummation is considered important as it symbolises the unity and completeness of the union.
The Catholic Church teaches that a valid sacramental marriage, once consummated, is indissoluble. In other words, it cannot be dissolved or annulled by any power or cause other than death. This belief stems from the understanding that through consummation, the couple becomes "one flesh", and their union is permanently sealed.
However, the Church makes a distinction between a "ratified" and a "consummated" marriage when it comes to annulment or dissolution. If a marriage is ratified but not consummated, it can be dissolved or annulled. On the other hand, if a marriage is both ratified and consummated, it cannot be dissolved, although it may still be annulled if it is proven that the marriage was not valid in the first place.
The use of contraception within a marriage has been a topic of debate within Catholic theology. Some argue that the use of contraception goes against the procreative nature of the marital act and therefore may question the validity of the marriage. However, others argue that as long as the marital act takes place, even with contraception, the marriage is still valid and consummated.
In summary, the Catholic Church considers a marriage valid through the sacramental union witnessed by the Church and consummated through sexual intercourse. A consummated marriage is considered indissoluble, while a non-consummated marriage may be dissolved or annulled under certain circumstances.
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The role of the Church
The Catholic Church considers a marriage to be a permanent, two-in-one-flesh type of friendship that is established through the consent of partners and an act that unites their bodies into one. This consent is given at the altar when the partners exchange vows, and the marriage is made complete when the spouses consummate their marriage through intercourse.
The Church teaches that a validly contracted sacramental marriage is accompanied by divine ratification, creating an indissoluble union until the couple consummates their marriage. A marriage that has been ratified and consummated cannot be dissolved by any power or cause other than death. In the eyes of the Church, a valid natural marriage, even if consummated, can be dissolved when doing so favours the maintenance of the Christian faith.
The Catholic Church does not recognise civil divorce of a natural or sacramental marriage. However, a marriage that has been ratified but not consummated can be annulled or dissolved, but it will not necessarily be. A marriage is presumed valid until someone undertakes a process of annulment or dissolution.
The Church teaches against the use of contraception; however, this does not mean a marriage cannot be consummated if the couple uses it. If a couple engages in the marital act, even if contraception is used, the marriage is still considered consummated. The Church's position is that for an act of sexual intercourse to be "marital", it must be consistent with the unitive and procreative goods of marriage. If either of these goods is positively willed against, the act is considered non-marital and therefore not consummatory.
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Marital intercourse
The Catholic Church considers a marriage to be valid and complete when it is consummated through intercourse. According to Catholic theology, a sacramental marriage is accompanied by divine ratification, creating an indissoluble union until the couple consummates their marriage.
The act of consummation involves the spouses uniting their bodies into a one-flesh unity, expressing in a physical way the irrevocable gift of the whole self that they consented to at the altar. This act signifies the completion of the marriage, and until it is performed, the marriage is considered incomplete.
The use of contraception is generally discouraged by the Catholic Church, and some theologians argue that a willful contraceptive act does not constitute true marital intercourse and therefore does not consummate a marriage. However, others disagree, stating that as long as the husband can deposit semen in his wife's vagina, the act is consummated, even if contraception is used.
In the Catholic Church's eyes, a consummated marriage cannot be dissolved, but a non-consummated marriage can be dissolved or annulled. This is because the Church considers a consummated marriage to be a complete and indissoluble union.
While the Catholic Church emphasizes the importance of consummation in marriage, it is not a requirement for a marriage to be considered valid. A marriage is still valid even if the couple never consummates it, but the Church views consummation as the ideal way to complete and strengthen the marital bond.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, marriage in the Catholic Church is a permanent, two-in-one-flesh type of friendship established on the basis of both the consent of the partners and an act that unites the bodies into a one-flesh unity.
If a couple has been validly married but has never consummated their marriage, the Church holds that their marriage can be dissolved.
The Catholic Church teaches against the use of contraception. If a couple uses contraception with the intention of making their intercourse sterile, then the act is non-marital and therefore not consummatory of a marriage.
Canon 1141 explains that a marriage which has been ratified and consummated cannot be dissolved by any power or cause other than death.
Annulment says the marriage never existed, while dissolution means that a partial marriage is being dissolved. A valid sacramental marriage, if not consummated, may be dissolved, but a consummated marriage cannot be dissolved.
