PREPARATION FOR MARRIAGE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Familiaris Consortio by John Paul II
Preparation for Marriage
66. More than ever necessary in our times is preparation of young people for marriage and family life. In some countries it is still the families themselves that, according to ancient customs, ensure the passing on to young people of the values concerning married and family life, and they do this through a gradual process of education or initiation. But the changes that have taken place within almost all modern societies demand that not only the family but also society and the Church should be involved in the effort of properly preparing young people for their future responsibilities…
The Challenge of Marriage Preparation | Dr. Janet E. Smith)
The Church actually speaks of three stages of marriage preparation: remote, proximate, and immediate.
1. Remote preparation takes place in the home, as the child from a very young age observes how his or her parents interact. Children, like sponges, soak up nearly everything around them. In our culture, that preparation is often counterproductive; children spend their earlier years with squabbling parents and their teen years shuttling between parents who are trying to get their lives together. Even those who grow up in intact households harbor deep doubts about the durability of marriage.
2. Proximate preparation takes place as one moves into adulthood and begins to think about choosing a life partner. This might include some sort of education in abstinence or sexuality in the schools. I think this period is also mismanaged in our culture. Young people are not counseled to date wisely. They easily fall in love with someone who is not a good choice for a life partner and thus many unfortunate marriages are made.
3. Immediate preparation. Pre-Cana instruction and engagement encounter weekends constitute immediate preparation. If done well, these are opportunities to begin to work on some of the issues that all married couples face and even to give a very important final consideration to the wisdom of one's choice. This is an opportunity to teach Catholics who know so little about their faith. A crash course is needed in what a sacrament is, in marriage as a vocation, in marriage as indissoluble. Couples need to learn why premarital sex is wrong, why contraception is wrong, why prayer should be a part of everyone's life, for instance.
2. Proximate preparation takes place as one moves into adulthood and begins to think about choosing a life partner. This might include some sort of education in abstinence or sexuality in the schools. I think this period is also mismanaged in our culture. Young people are not counseled to date wisely. They easily fall in love with someone who is not a good choice for a life partner and thus many unfortunate marriages are made.
3. Immediate preparation. Pre-Cana instruction and engagement encounter weekends constitute immediate preparation. If done well, these are opportunities to begin to work on some of the issues that all married couples face and even to give a very important final consideration to the wisdom of one's choice. This is an opportunity to teach Catholics who know so little about their faith. A crash course is needed in what a sacrament is, in marriage as a vocation, in marriage as indissoluble. Couples need to learn why premarital sex is wrong, why contraception is wrong, why prayer should be a part of everyone's life, for instance.
| Reasons for Invalidity of Marriage 1. Presence of a diriment impediment. 2. Insufficiency of consent 3. Lack of Canonical Form | Definition of Impediment -it renders a person incapable of validly contracting a marriage. -an impediment to a marriage is a circumstance or condition which directly affects a marriage in such a way that it forbids it. |
| Effects of Impediments 1. It gravely forbids marriage. 2. It prevents it from being contracted validly. | Sources of Impediments 1. Both parties - crime affinity 2. One party - age, impotence. |
| History of Impediments 1. Christ - He talked about 2nd marriages. 2. 3. Post-synodal Apostolic Councils - passed legislation on marriage | Kinds of Impediments 1. As to Origin: (a) Divine Law (b) Ecclesiastical Law Impediment 2. As to Scope: (a) Absolute (b) Relative |
THE CODE OF CANON LAW (1983)
(Only the Canon Laws that apply to the Sacrament of Marriage.)
(Only the Canon Laws that apply to the Sacrament of Marriage.)
ON INDIVIDUAL DIRIMENT IMPEDIMENTS
1. Nonage . Canon 1083.1 A man cannot validly enter marriage before the completion of his sixteenth year of age, nor a woman before the completion of her fourteenth year. Canon 1083.2 The Episcopal Conference may establish a higher age for the lawful celebration of marriage.
2. Impotence: Canon 1084.1 Antecedent and perpetual impotence to have sexual intercourse, whether on the part of the man or on that of the woman, whether absolute or relative, by its very nature invalidates marriage.
3. Previous Marriage: Canon 1085.1 A person bound by the bond of a previous marriage, even if not consummated, invalidly attempts marriage.
4. Disparity of Cult: Canon 1086.1 A marriage is invalid when one of the two persons was baptized in the catholic Church or received into it and has not by a formal act defected from it, and the other was not baptized.
The local Ordinary/Bishop can grant permission if there is a just and reasonable cause. He is not to grant it unless the following conditions are fulfilled:
- the catholic party is to declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith, and is to make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power in order that all the children be baptized and brought up in the catholic Church;
- the other party is to be informed in good time of these promises to be made by the catholic party, so that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and of the obligation of the catholic party.
5. Sacred Orders/Vows: Canon 1087 Those who are in sacred orders invalidly attempt marriage (priest, religious brother/sister-nun).
6. Crime: Canon 1090.1 One who, with a view to entering marriage with a particular person, has killed that person's spouse, or his or her own spouse, invalidly attempts this marriage. Or, by mutual physical or moral action, brought about the death of either's spouse.
7. Consanguinity: Canon 1091.1 Marriage is invalid between those related by consanguinity in all degrees of the direct line, whether ascending or descending, legitimate or natural.
- A marriage is never to be permitted if a doubt exists as to whether the parties are related by consanguinity in any degree of the direct line, or in the second degree of the collateral line.
A dispensation is never given from the impediment of consanguinity in the direct line or in the second degree of the collateral line.
9. Public Propriety: Canon 1093 The impediment of public propriety arises when a couple live together after an invalid marriage, or from a notorious or public concubinage. It invalidates marriage in the first degree of the direct line between the man and those related by consanguinity to the woman, and vice versa.
10. Legal Relationship / Adoption: Canon 1094 Those who are legally related by reason of adoption cannot validly marry each other if their relationship is in the direct line or in the second degree of the collateral line.
The impediments whose dispensation is reserved to the Apostolic See / Pope are:
- the impediment arising from sacred orders or from a public perpetual vow of chastity in a religious institute of pontifical right
11. Spiritual Affinity. (Between godparent and godchild)
12. Use of Force / Abduction.
ON MATRIMONIAL CONSENT
· those who suffer from a grave lack of discretionary judgment concerning the essential matrimonial rights and obligations to be mutually given and accepted;
· those who, because of causes of a psychological nature, are unable to assume the essential obligations of marriage.
· Those entered into by reason of force or of grave fear imposed from outside, even if not purposely, from which the person has no escape other than by choosing marriage.
· To contract marriage validly it is necessary that the contracting parties be present together, either personally or by proxy.
- Only those marriages are valid which are contracted in the presence of the local Ordinary or parish priest or of the priest or deacon delegated by either of them, who, in the presence of two witnesses, assists, in accordance however with the rules set out
· Within the limits of their territory, the local Ordinary and the parish priest by virtue of their office validly assist at the marriages not only of their subjects, but also of those from other territories or parishes.
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