Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Two › Section Two › Chapter Three · Article 7 (§§1601–1666)
Paragraphs · 66
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
The Sacrament of Matrimony
- §1601 — "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been…vatican.va
I. Marriage in God's Plan
- §1602 — Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of "the wedding-feast of the Lamb."vatican.va
- §1603 — "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws....vatican.va
- §1604 — God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love.vatican.va
- §1605 — Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone." , his counterpart, his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus represents God from whom comes our help.vatican.va
- §1606 — Every man experiences evil around him and within himself. This experience makes itself felt in the relationships between man and woman. Their union has always been threatened by discord, a spirit of domination, infidelity, jealousy, and conflicts that can escalate into hatred and separation.vatican.va
- §1607 — According to faith the disorder we notice so painfully does not stem from the nature of man and woman, nor from the nature of their relations, but from sin.vatican.va
- §1608 — Nevertheless, the order of creation persists, though seriously disturbed. To heal the wounds of sin, man and woman need the help of the grace that God in his infinite mercy never refuses them.vatican.va
- §1609 — In his mercy God has not forsaken sinful man. the punishments consequent upon sin, "pain in childbearing" and toil "in the sweat of your brow," also embody remedies that limit the damaging effects of sin.vatican.va
- §1610 — Moral conscience concerning the unity and indissolubility of marriage developed under the pedagogy of the old law. In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected.vatican.va
- §1611 — Seeing God's covenant with Israel in the image of exclusive and faithful married love, the prophets prepared the Chosen People's conscience for a deepened understanding of the unity and indissolubility of marriage.vatican.va
- §1612 — The nuptial covenant between God and his people Israel had prepared the way for the new and everlasting covenant in which the Son of God, by becoming incarnate and giving his life, has united to himself in a certain way all mankind saved by him, thus preparing for "the wedding-feast of the Lamb."vatican.va
- §1613 — On the threshold of his public life Jesus performs his first sign - at his mother's request - during a wedding feast. The Church attaches great importance to Jesus' presence at the wedding at Cana.vatican.va
- §1614 — In his preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning permission given by Moses to divorce one's wife was a concession to the hardness of hearts.vatican.va
- §1615 — This unequivocal insistence on the indissolubility of the marriage bond may have left some perplexed and could seem to be a demand impossible to realize.vatican.va
- §1616 — This is what the Apostle Paul makes clear when he says: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her," adding at once: "'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother…vatican.va
- §1617 — The entire Christian life bears the mark of the spousal love of Christ and the Church. Already Baptism, the entry into the People of God, is a nuptial mystery; it is so to speak the nuptial bath which precedes the wedding feast, the Eucharist.vatican.va
- §1618 — Christ is the center of all Christian life. the bond with him takes precedence over all other bonds, familial or social. From the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the…vatican.va
- §1619 — Virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven is an unfolding of baptismal grace, a powerful sign of the supremacy of the bond with Christ and of the ardent expectation of his return, a sign which also recalls that marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away.vatican.va
- §1620 — Both the sacrament of Matrimony and virginity for the Kingdom of God come from the Lord himself. It is he who gives them meaning and grants them the grace which is indispensable for living them out in conformity with his will.vatican.va
II. The Celebration of Marriage
- §1621 — In the Latin Rite the celebration of marriage between two Catholic faithful normally takes place during Holy Mass, because of the connection of all the sacraments with the Paschal mystery of Christ.vatican.va
- §1622 — "Inasmuch as it is a sacramental action of sanctification, the liturgical celebration of marriage . . must be, per se, valid, worthy, and fruitful." It is therefore appropriate for the bride and groom to prepare themselves for the celebration of their marriage by receiving the sacrament of penance.vatican.va
- §1623 — In the Latin Church, it is ordinarily understood that the spouses, as ministers of Christ's grace, mutually confer upon each other the sacrament of Matrimony by expressing their consent before the Church.vatican.va
- §1624 — The various liturgies abound in prayers of blessing and epiclesis asking God's grace and blessing on the new couple, especially the bride. In the epiclesis of this sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church.vatican.va
III. Matrimonial Consent
- §1625 — The parties to a marriage covenant are a baptized man and woman, free to contract marriage, who freely express their consent; "to be free" means: - not being under constraint; - not impeded by any natural or ecclesiastical law.vatican.va
- §1626 — The Church holds the exchange of consent between the spouses to be the indispensable element that "makes the marriage." If consent is lacking there is no marriage.vatican.va
- §1627 — The consent consists in a "human act by which the partners mutually give themselves to each other": "I take you to be my wife" - "I take you to be my husband."vatican.va
- §1628 — The consent must be an act of the will of each of the contracting parties, free of coercion or grave external fear. No human power can substitute for this consent.vatican.va
- §1629 — , that the marriage never existed. In this case the contracting parties are free to marry, provided the natural obligations of a previous union are discharged.vatican.va
- §1630 — The priest (or deacon) who assists at the celebration of a marriage receives the consent of the spouses in the name of the Church and gives the blessing of the Church.vatican.va
- §1631 — This is the reason why the Church normally requires that the faithful contract marriage according to the ecclesiastical form. Several reasons converge to explain this requirement: - Sacramental marriage is a liturgical act.vatican.va
- §1632 — So that the "I do" of the spouses may be a free and responsible act and so that the marriage covenant may have solid and lasting human and Christian foundations, preparation for marriage is of prime importance.vatican.va
- §1633 — In many countries the situation of a mixed marriage (marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic) often arises. It requires particular attention on the part of couples and their pastors.vatican.va
- §1634 — Difference of confession between the spouses does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle for marriage, when they succeed in placing in common what they have received from their respective communities, and learn from each other the way in which each lives in fidelity to Christ.vatican.va
- §1635 — According to the law in force in the Latin Church, a mixed marriage needs for liceity the express permission of ecclesiastical authority. In case of disparity of cult an express dispensation from this impediment is required for the validity of the marriage.vatican.va
- §1636 — Through ecumenical dialogue Christian communities in many regions have been able to put into effect a common pastoral practice for mixed marriages. Its task is to help such couples live out their particular situation in the light of faith, overcome the tensions between the couple's…vatican.va
- §1637 — In marriages with disparity of cult the Catholic spouse has a particular task: "For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband."vatican.va
IV. The Effects of the Sacrament of Matrimony
- §1638 — "From a valid marriage arises a bond between the spouses which by its very nature is perpetual and exclusive; furthermore, in a Christian marriage the spouses are strengthened and, as it were, consecrated for the duties and the dignity of their state by a special sacrament."vatican.va
- §1639 — The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises "an institution, confirmed by the divine law, .vatican.va
- §1640 — Thus the marriage bond has been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage concluded and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved.vatican.va
- §1641 — "By reason of their state in life and of their order, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in the People of God." This grace proper to the sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couple's love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity.vatican.va
- §1642 — Christ is the source of this grace. "Just as of old God encountered his people with a covenant of love and fidelity, so our Savior, the spouse of the Church, now encounters Christian spouses through the sacrament of Matrimony."vatican.va
V. The Goods and Requirements of Conjugal Love
- §1643 — "Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will.vatican.va
- §1644 — The love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the unity and indissolubility of the spouses' community of persons, which embraces their entire life: "so they are no longer two, but one flesh."vatican.va
- §1645 — "The unity of marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal personal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection."vatican.va
- §1646 — By its very nature conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses. This is the consequence of the gift of themselves which they make to each other.vatican.va
- §1647 — The deepest reason is found in the fidelity of God to his covenant, in that of Christ to his Church. Through the sacrament of Matrimony the spouses are enabled to represent this fidelity and witness to it.vatican.va
- §1648 — It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being. This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that…vatican.va
- §1649 — Yet there are some situations in which living together becomes practically impossible for a variety of reasons. In such cases the Church permits the physical separation of the couple and their living apart.vatican.va
- §1650 — Today there are numerous Catholics in many countries who have recourse to civil divorce and contract new civil unions. In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ - "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband…vatican.va
- §1651 — Toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, priests and the whole community must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church,…vatican.va
- §1652 — "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."vatican.va
- §1653 — The fruitfulness of conjugal love extends to the fruits of the moral, spiritual, and supernatural life that parents hand on to their children by education.vatican.va
- §1654 — Spouses to whom God has not granted children can nevertheless have a conjugal life full of meaning, in both human and Christian terms. Their marriage can radiate a fruitfulness of charity, of hospitality, and of sacrifice.vatican.va
VI. The Domestic Church
- §1655 — Christ chose to be born and grow up in the bosom of the holy family of Joseph and Mary. the Church is nothing other than "the family of God."vatican.va
- §1656 — In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith.vatican.va
- §1657 — It is here that the father of the family, the mother, children, and all members of the family exercise the priesthood of the baptized in a privileged way "by the reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, and self-denial and active charity."vatican.va
- §1658 — We must also remember the great number of single persons who, because of the particular circumstances in which they have to live - often not of their choosing - are especially close to Jesus' heart and therefore deserve the special affection and active solicitude of the Church, especially of pastors.vatican.va
In Brief
- §1659 — St. Paul said: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.... This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church" (Eph 5:25, 32).vatican.va
- §1660 — The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman form with each other an intimate communion of life and love, has been founded and endowed with its own special laws by the Creator.vatican.va
- §1661 — The sacrament of Matrimony signifies the union of Christ and the Church. It gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love with which Christ has loved his Church; the grace of the sacrament thus perfects the human love of the spouses, strengthens…vatican.va
- §1662 — Marriage is based on the consent of the contracting parties, that is, on their will to give themselves, each to the other, mutually and definitively, in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love.vatican.va
- §1663 — Since marriage establishes the couple in a public state of life in the Church, it is fitting that its celebration be public, in the framework of a liturgical celebration, before the priest (or a witness authorized by the Church), the witnesses, and the assembly of the faithful.vatican.va
- §1664 — Unity, indissolubility, and openness to fertility are essential to marriage. Polygamy is incompatible with the unity of marriage; divorce separates what God has joined together; the refusal of fertility turns married life away from its "supreme gift," the child (GS 50 # 1).vatican.va
- §1665 — The remarriage of persons divorced from a living, lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ. They are not separated from the Church, but they cannot receive Eucharistic communion.vatican.va
- §1666 — The Christian home is the place where children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason the family home is rightly called "the domestic church," a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.vatican.va
Scripture cited · 82 verses
Genesis 1:26 · Genesis 1:27 · Genesis 1:28 · Genesis 1:31 · Genesis 2:18 · Genesis 2:19 · Genesis 2:20 · Genesis 2:21 · Genesis 2:22 · Genesis 2:23 · Genesis 2:24 · Genesis 2:25 · Genesis 3:12 · Genesis 3:16 · Genesis 3:17 · Genesis 3:18 · Genesis 3:19 · Genesis 3:21 · Deuteronomy 24:1 · Song of Songs 8:6 · Song of Songs 8:7 · Malachi 2:13 · Malachi 2:14 · Malachi 2:15 · Malachi 2:16 · Malachi 2:17 · Matthew 10:8 · Matthew 11:28 · Matthew 11:29 · Matthew 11:30 · Matthew 19:3 · Matthew 19:4 · Matthew 19:5 · Matthew 19:6 · Matthew 19:7 · Matthew 19:8 · Matthew 19:9 · Matthew 19:10 · Matthew 19:11 · Matthew 19:12 · Mark 8:34 · Mark 10:9 · Mark 10:11 · Mark 10:12 · Mark 10:28 · Mark 10:29 · Mark 10:30 · Mark 10:31 · Mark 12:25 · Luke 14:26 · John 2:1 · John 2:2 · John 2:3 · John 2:4 · John 2:5 · John 2:6 · John 2:7 · John 2:8 · John 2:9 · John 2:10 · John 2:11 · Acts 11:14 · Acts 16:31 · Acts 18:8 · 1 Corinthians 7:14 · 1 Corinthians 7:16 · 1 Corinthians 7:31 · 1 Corinthians 7:32 · 1 Corinthians 7:39 · 1 Corinthians 10:17 · Galatians 6:2 · Ephesians 5:21 · Ephesians 5:25 · Ephesians 5:26 · Ephesians 5:27 · Ephesians 5:31 · Ephesians 5:32 · 1 John 4:8 · 1 John 4:16 · Revelation 14:4 · Revelation 19:7 · Revelation 19:9