Rachel Evans
Marriage in the Catholic Church, or holy matrimony, is a sacred and lifelong partnership between a man and a woman. It is a covenant that establishes a community of life and love, ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. This covenant is integrated into God's covenant with man, reflecting the love between God and his people. The Catholic Church outlines three key characteristics of marriage: the spouses must be free to marry and freely exchange their consent; they must intend to marry for life, be faithful, and be open to having children; and their consent must be given in the canonical form, in the presence of witnesses and an authorized church minister. These requirements reflect the Church's view of marriage as a sacred union, mirroring the love and self-giving nature of God.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marriage is a lifelong partnership | Permanency allows each spouse to reveal all that they are and all that they are not to the other |
| Marriage is a sacrament | The Catholic Church recognizes as sacramental the marriages between two baptized non-Catholic Christians, as well as marriages between baptized non-Catholic Christians and Catholic Christians |
| Marriage is a deeply personal unity | Marriage demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving and is open to fertility |
| Marriage is a covenant | The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself |
| Marriage is a symbol | Marriage is the greatest symbol the Bible uses to describe God and his people |
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What You'll Learn
Marriage is a lifelong partnership
The Catholic Church recognizes marriage as a sacrament, and as such, it requires certain elements to be considered valid. One of the key characteristics of a Catholic marriage is the intention of the spouses to be faithful and committed to each other for life. This lifelong commitment is a reflection of God's promise to never leave us and is meant to provide a sense of security and trust in the marriage.
The permanence of marriage allows spouses to reveal their true selves to each other without fear of rejection. It enables them to "be" for each other rather than just "do" for each other, fostering a deep sense of mutual self-giving. This mutual self-giving is a form of definitive mutual giving, where spouses give themselves to each other through the offering of their lives, uniting it with the offering of Christ for his Church.
In Catholic teaching, marriage is also seen as a path to God, where married love is brought to new depths of commitment and sacrifice, reflecting the love of God. The unity and indissolubility of marriage are not just about the union of two people but also about their becoming one heart and soul, embracing their entire lives together. This unity is a reflection of the Trinity, where the love between spouses mirrors the love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Through the sacrament of matrimony, the spouses' love is confirmed, purified, and completed by their communion in Jesus Christ, elevating their natural conjugal love to a higher level that expresses specifically Christian values. This lifelong partnership is not just about the relationship between the spouses but also about their shared life and the creation of a family, which contributes to the well-being of individuals and society as a whole.
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Marriage is ordered towards the good of the spouses
Marriage, in the Catholic Church, is a sacrament ordained by God, signifying the mystical marriage of Christ to his Church. The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish a lifelong partnership, is ordered towards the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. This covenant between baptised persons has been elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the intimate community of life and love that defines marriage has been established by God and endowed with its own laws. Marriage is not a purely human institution, and its dignity is recognised to varying degrees across different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. Nevertheless, the well-being of individuals and society is closely tied to the health of conjugal and family life.
The Catholic Church recognises marriage as a lifelong partnership between spouses, requiring the free and full consent of both parties. This consent is sealed by God and creates a perpetual and exclusive bond. The love between spouses demands total fidelity and an unbreakable union, reflecting the eternal love with which God loves humankind.
The unity of marriage goes beyond a physical union, leading to the formation of one heart and soul. It requires indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving and is open to fertility. The mutual self-giving of spouses in marriage results in a spiritual communion, where they are no longer two but one flesh. This human communion is confirmed, purified, and completed by communion in Jesus Christ through the sacrament of matrimony.
The Catholic Church provides classes before marriage to help couples inform their consent. During this time, the would-be spouses receive confirmation if they have not already done so. The Church also requires that marriages take place during Holy Mass, connecting the sacrament of marriage with the Paschal mystery of Christ.
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Marriage requires mutual consent
Marriage in the Catholic Church is a sacrament—a sacred act that is believed to be endorsed by God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, marriage is a "community of life and love" established by God and is therefore not a purely human institution.
For a marriage to be considered valid in the eyes of the Catholic Church, it must meet four requirements. The first of these is mutual consent: the spouses-to-be must be free to marry and must freely exchange their consent. This consent must be given in the canonical form, in the presence of two witnesses and before a properly authorised church minister. The Church provides classes several months before marriage to help the participants inform their consent.
The mutual consent of the spouses is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law, [...] even in the eyes of society." The consent of the spouses to give themselves to each other is united with the offering of Christ for his Church, as manifested in the Eucharistic sacrifice.
The love of the spouses requires the unity and indissolubility of the spouses' community of persons, which embraces their entire life. They are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving. This human communion is confirmed, purified, and completed by communion in Jesus Christ, given through the sacrament of Matrimony.
In summary, mutual consent is a crucial aspect of marriage in the Catholic Church. It entails not only the free and informed exchange of consent between the spouses but also the sealing of this consent by God, who establishes their covenant as an enduring institution in the eyes of society and the Church.
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Marriage is indissoluble
Marriage in the Catholic Church is considered a sacrament and is recognised as such when it occurs between two baptised non-Catholic Christians, or between a Catholic Christian and a non-Catholic Christian with consent from a bishop. Marriage is a sacred institution, established by God, and is intended to be a lifelong partnership.
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is indissoluble. This means that it is a permanent union, intended to last for life. The Church teaches that marriage is a covenant, a bond that is perpetual and exclusive. This teaching is based on the belief that God himself is the author of marriage and that it is not a purely human institution. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that marriage is a "community of life and love" that has been "endowed by [God] with its own proper laws".
The indissolubility of marriage in Catholic teaching is based on the belief that the love between spouses is a reflection of God's love. This love is intended to be total and sacrificial, mirroring God's love for humanity. The unity and indissolubility of marriage are seen as essential to maintaining the well-being of individuals, families, and society as a whole.
While the Catholic Church teaches that marriage is indissoluble, there are certain circumstances in which a marriage can be dissolved. In rare cases, the Church may grant a divorce, known as "Pauline privilege" or "Petrine privilege", when it is deemed necessary to maintain the faith of a Christian spouse in a mixed marriage. However, even in these cases, the Church acknowledges the validity of the marriage, distinguishing it from a civil divorce.
The Catholic Church's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage highlights the sacredness and permanence of the marital union. By entering into marriage, spouses are believed to form an unbreakable bond, reflecting the love and faithfulness of God. This teaching guides Catholic couples in their commitment to each other and their shared life together.
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Marriage is open to fertility
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a lifelong partnership between a man and a woman, established by God and ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring. This procreative aspect of marriage is considered one of its "natural ends", with the other being unity.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, marriage is a "covenant" between spouses that is confirmed by the divine law and is integrated into God's covenant with man. This means that the spouses are strengthened and consecrated for the duties and dignity of their state by a special sacrament.
The Catholic Church considers fertility to be essential to marriage. This is based on the belief that marriage is inherently ordered towards the procreation and education of offspring. The Church teaches that the refusal of fertility turns married life away from its "supreme gift", which is a child.
However, the Church does not consider infertility to be an impediment to marriage. Infertile couples are still viewed as being open to life, as they possess the inclination to procreate. While infertility refers to the inability to conceive children, impotence, which is the inability to have sexual intercourse, is considered a barrier to marriage. According to the Code of Canon Law No. 1084, §1, "Antecedent and perpetual impotence to have intercourse, whether on the part of the man or the woman, whether absolute or relative, nullifies marriage by its very nature."
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