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September 20, 2005
Ch. XXIX. Q. 156. What is Holy Matrimony?
HOLY MATRIMONY is the Sacrament by which the marriage union is sanctified to religious ends, and made a type of the mystical and perpetual union between Christ and His Church.1
2. The form and matter of this Sacrament consist of the consenting words and consummating acts which signify and complete the marriage union in the natural and civil estates of life. No Minister, apart from the contracting parties, is necessary for the completion of this Sacrament. The blessing of the Priest pertains to regularity and fitness, not to validity.2
3. Certain impediments nullify the marriage union ab initio: e.g., (a.) error as to personal identity: (b.) consanguinity, or relationship within the third degree: (c.)impotency, or permanent inability to consummate the union: (d.) insanity at the time of attempted marriage: (e.) fornication, or pre-marital unchastity (f.) the existence of a living husband or wife: (g.) compulsion, which, however, is removed by subsequent consent. Other impediments make the union undesirable without destroying its validity, e.g., (a.) religious disagreement: (b.) a vow of celibacy or virginity: (c.) disparity of social position: (d.) physical taint likely to affect one's offspring. Unbaptized persons can enter the marriage union so far as it is a union; but their union does not become sacramental until both parties have been baptized, for Sacramental capacity is first received in Baptism.3
4. The Western Church in general takes the ground that the vinculum or sacramental tie which results from a valid consummation of Holy Matrimony cannot be broken except by death. The Eastern Church practically makes exceptions to this rule, and our American canons permit the remarriage of an innocent party after divorce because of adultery. But such marriages certainly violate the religious end of Holy Matrimony and are, to say the least, precarious. Divorce without intention of remarriage, a mensa et toro, is permitted when certain emergencies occur which make the proper fulfilment of marital obligations impossible.4
5. The ends of Holy Matrimony are (a.) the begetting of children, who shall become members of Christ's kingdom: (b.) a religious union such as will typify the union between Christ and His Church: (c.) the preservation of chastity. The grace of the Sacrament is given that these ends may be achieved worthily.5
6. Certain obligations result from Holy Matrimony, viz.: (a.) of mutual fidelity and regard for marital rights, with moderation in exacting them: (b.) of honor and obedience to be rendered by the wife, and of love and kindness to be rendered by the husband: (c.) of mutual enjoyment of worldly goods: (d.) of parental control, along with the education of children in the true religion and in the practice of virtue: (e.) of making the family a religious unit, subject to the Church of God.6
1 Gen. II. 18-24: S. Matt. XIX. 8-12: S. Mark X. 2-12: I. Cor. VII: Ephes. V. 22-33: Rev. XIX. 7-9. S. Thos., Sum. Th., III. sup. 41-66: Grueber's Church Militant, 108-111: Percival's Digest, 158-161: Forbes' 39 Arts., XXV. 463-465: Mason's Faith of the Gosp., IX. 21: Bp. Grafton, in N.Y. Church Club Lec. of 1892, 230-233: Schouppe, Tr. XVII: Blunt's Theol. Dic., "Marriage": Cat. of Nic. Bulgaris, 11-14, 24, 25: Luckock's Hist. of Marriage: Watkin's Holy Matrimony: Pusey's Paroch. Sermons, Vol. II. Ser. 22: Notes and Questions from Pusey, 157-163: Elmendorf, Elem. Moral Theol., 620-643.
2 S. Thos., III. sup. 41-48: Nic. Bulgaris, 14: Percival, 161: Schouppe, XVII. 54-57: Elmendorf, 624, 625.
3 Q. 144. 1, 7. Also the Table of Forbidden Degrees in the English Prayer Book; and Levit. XVIII: Deut. VII. 3, 4: Josh. XXIII. 12, 13: Ezra IX, X: Neh. XIII. 23 et seq: S. Matt. XIX. 9-12: S. Mark VI. 17, 18: X. 11, 12: Rom. VII 2, 3: I. Cor. VI. 15, 16: VII. 6-16: II. Cor. VI. 14-17. S. Thos., III. sup. 50-62: Percival, 159, 160: Schouppe, XVII. 58-71, 96-141: Blunt's Theol. Dic., "Affinity," "Affinity Spiritual" "Bigamy," "Decrees Forbidden": Nic. Bulgaris, 11-13: Elmendorf, 629-640.
4 S. Matt. V. 31, 32: XIX. 6-9: S. Mark X. 2-9: Rom. VII. 2, 3: I. Cor. VII. 10, 11, 39. S. Thos. III. sup. 62. 5, 6: 65: 66: 67. 4, 5: Percival, 158, 159: Schouppe, XVII. 72-95: Blunt's Theol. Dic., "Divorce": Notes and Questions from Pusey, 160-163: Elmendorf, 640-643: Catholic Papers, 142-202.
5 S. Thos., III. sup., 47: Nic. Bulgaris, 11, 24, 25.
6 Gen. II. 18, 24: III. 16:1. Cor. VII. 3-5: Ephes. V. 22-33: VI. 1-4. S. Thos., III. sup. 64.
Posted by Trevor at September 20, 2005 12:01 PM