Canon Law Rules on Marriage

Canon Law provides rules and guidelines for Catholic marriages.

The Roman Catholic Church has a detailed set of laws regarding several aspects of Catholic practice, known as the Code of Canon Law. According to New Advent, "Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made by or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members." To provide concise guidelines for practicing Catholics, Canon Law contains several specifications regarding the validity, sacramentality and annulment of Catholic marriage.

Validity

For a Catholic marriage to be valid, the two persons entering into marriage must give their full consent. They must also be open to conception of children and promise to be faithful to each other. In addition, the marriage must take place in the presence of two witnesses. Canon Law also places age restrictions on marriage candidates: according to Canon 1083, men must be at least 16 years of age and women must be at least 14 years old.

Sacramentality

According to Canon 1055 of the Code of Canon Law, "The marriage covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of their whole life, and which of its own very nature is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children, has, between the baptized, been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament. " For Catholics, marriage is not simply a legal contract; it is also a sacrament, which is a sign of the unity between Christ and the Church.

Nullity

According to Canon 1141, "A marriage which is ratified and consummated cannot be dissolved by any human power or by any cause other than death." However, if a spouse can prove in canon law court that she did not actually fully consent to the marriage, she may be able to attain a marriage annulment, which defines the marriage as invalid and therefore allows the said spouse to remarry in the Catholic Church if desired.

References

• New Advent: Canon Law
• Our Lady's Warriors: Code of Canon Law Part I
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: FAQs About Marriage