Catholics follow the teaching of Jesus (Mark 10:6-9) that Man and Woman are made by God to be joined together in marriage. It is natural and it is a permanent bond.
Marriage creates the Christian family and provides the proper setting for a sexual relationship.
Marriage is a Sacrament, a public ceremony blessed by God; Permanent, lasting ‘till death us do part’; Exclusive, between one man and one woman and no one else; Life-giving, giving new life to the man and the woman and also bringing new life (children) into the world.
A sexual relationship is the closest two persons can be. It is also the way in which new human beings come into the world. The proper place for sex is in a permanent and committed relationship, which is marriage. Sex outside marriage (which is called fornication) is wrong. Besides the possibility of sexually transmitted disease, there is also danger of great emotional upset. St Paul condemned fornication, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells engaged couples to wait for marriage before having sex.
A Catholic marriage service expresses Catholic teaching about marriage. There are prayers and appropriate readings from the Bible, as well as music and hymns. For many people the customs associated with a Church marriage are important, but for the Church the most important parts are the exhange of consent, the vows and the blessing by the priest (the nuptial blessing). The vows make clear the permanence of marriage: ‘to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part’. The couple are helped to keep these vows not just by their love, but by the help of God which comes through the sacrament. Some Catholics get married at Mass.
Contraception is taking action to prevent conception taking place after sexual intercourse. Many methods are available: barrier methods (e.g. condoms, the cap), drugs (the pill, injection), chemicals (spermicides), other physical methods (the coil), natural methods (NFP). No method is 100% effective in practice, especially for those not in stable relationships. No method gives complete protection against STDs, though barrier methods can reduce the risk.
The Catholic Church approves and recommends Natural Family Planning for married couples as it follows the natural fertility cycle of a woman’s body and has no side effects.
The Church disapproves of the use of unnatural methods of contraception, as it teaches every sexual act must be open to the creation of new life. The Church also teaches that the wide availability of contraceptives has many unwanted effects, such as promiscuity, disease and unwanted pregnancies.
The Church particularly disapproves of methods which kill a fertilised egg after conception, including the coil and the Morning After Pill, as they effectively provide a very early abortion.
The Church teaches that Marriage is till death, yet many marriages do break down. There are many possible reasons: financial difficulties, changing careers or interests, or partners fall out of love with one another and in love with someone else. Divorce hurts the couple and their children. It may also affect both their families and can leave lasting pain. It can be very expensive. Divorce is on the increase.
The Catholic Church has an agency Marriage Care which helps couples whose marriages are in trouble. Priests and others will counsel those who seek help. The divorced are welcome in Church and are treated with compassion and sympathy. So long as they do not marry again, they are welcomed to communion and other sacraments.
Marriage is till death, so no Catholic, even if divorced, may remarry. If a Catholic decides to remarry in a non-Catholic Church, or a registry office, then they may not continue to receive communion. The Church does not recognise their divorce.
However, the Church does have a marriage tribunal, which
can, in certain circumstances declare a marriage annuled or dissolved.
Anulment is quite complex, but basically it can be granted if it can be proved that when a couple married one or both of them did not intend to have a catholic marriage. So, for example, if one of them never intended to have children, or always intended to have affairs, then an anulment will be possible.
A marriage can be dissolved if it is not consummated (the couple have never had sex) or if one of the partners of a non-Christian marriage becomes a Christian.
Mark 10:1-12 Jesus says that marriage is for ever.
Matthew 5:27-30 Jesus says it is wrong even to
look at woman lustfully
Exodus 20:14 ‘Do not commit adultery’
Ephesians 5:1-4 St Paul condemns fornication
1. “Marriage should be for life”.Do you agree?
Give reasons for your answer showing that you have considered more than one
point of view. You should refer to catholic teaching in your answer. (4)
2. What do wedding rings show people about the
meaning of marriage? (2)
3. Explain what the marriage vows tell the Christian
about being married. (3)
4. Give two reasons why marriages end in divorce
today. (2)
5. What does the Catholic Church provide for a couple
who are having difficulty with their marriage? (3)
6. Explain why marriage is important for Roman
Catholics.(3)
7. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that divorce is
wrong. Explain the reasons for this teaching. (3)
8. “Christians should believe that sex outside of marriage is wrong.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer showing that you have considered more than one point of view. (4)