Teach Mormons about Catholicism (Home)
Table of Contents:
1. Prophets of God 7. Man
13. The Restoration
19. Baptism
2. One God 8. The Image of God
14. Tradition
20. Confirmation
3. Jesus Christ
9. The Fall of Adam
15. Catholic
21. Marriage
4. The Holy Spirit 10. Original Sin
16. The Church
22. Purgatory
5. The Holy Trinity 11. Faith and Grace
17. Apostle
23. Heaven and Hell
6. The Creation 12. Authority
18. The Priesthood
24. Eternal Life
21. Marriage
Mormonism: Our exaltation depends on marriage in a
temple (GP
Chapter 38)
Catholicism:
- Marriage and Being Single Come From the Lord
- Marriage Is A Reality of this Present Age
- The Marriage Union Is Indissoluble, God Has Joined Together
- The Marriage Covenant Establishes A Partnership Of The Whole Of Life
- The Everlasting Covenant Between Spouses Is Sealed By God Himself
- Polygamy In The Old Testament, Unity Developed Under The Old Law
- Polygamy Is A Grave Offence Against The Dignity Of Marriage
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 [Mt 19:3-12]. Esteem of virginity for the sake of the kingdom and the Christian understanding of marriage are inseparable, and they reinforce each other: Whoever denigrates marriage also diminishes the glory of virginity. Whoever praises it makes virginity more admirable and resplendent (CCC1620). From the very beginning of the Church there have been men and women who have renounced the great good of marriage to follow the Lamb wherever he goes, to be intent on the things of the Lord, to seek to please him, and to go out to meet the Bridegroom who is coming [Rev 14:4; 1 Cor 7:32; Mt 2:56]. Christ himself has invited certain persons to follow him in this way of life, of which he remains the model: "For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it" [Mt 19:12] (CCC1618).
People should cultivate [chastity] in the way that is suited to their state of life. Some profess virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others live in the way prescribed for all by the moral law, whether they are married or single. Married people are called to live conjugal chastity; others practice chastity in continence: There are three forms of the virtue of chastity: the first is that of spouses, the second that of widows, and the third that of virgins. We do not praise any one of them to the exclusion of the others.... This is what makes for the richness of the discipline of the Church (CCC2349). All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" [Mt 19:12]. Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord," [1 Cor 7:32] they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Church's minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God (CCC1579).
The theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist [Jn 3:29]. The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom" [Mk 2:19]. The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him [Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13; 1 Cor 6:15-17; 2 Cor 11:2]. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb [Rev 22:17; Eph 1:4. 5:27]. "Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her" [Eph 5:25-26]. He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body [Eph 5:29]: "The two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church" [Eph 5:31-32]. And the Lord himself says in the Gospel: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh" [Mt 19:6]. They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union,... as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself "bride" (CCC796).
Marriage Is A Reality of this Present Age
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 [Mk 12:25; 1 Cor 7:31] (CCC1619). The Lord Jesus insisted on the original intention of the Creator who willed that marriage be indissoluble [Mt 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Mk 10 9; Lk 16:18; 1 Cor 7:10-ll]. He abrogates the accommodations that had slipped into the old Law [Mt 19:7-9]. Between the baptized, a ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death (CCC2382). 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" [Mt 19:6; Gen 2:24]. They "are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving." This human communion is confirmed, purified, and completed by communion in Jesus Christ, given through the sacrament of Matrimony (CCC1644).
The Church is nothing other than "the family of God." From the beginning, the core of the Church was often constituted by those who had become believers "together with all [their] household" [Acts 18:8]. When they were converted, they desired that "their whole household" should also be saved [Acts 16:31; Acts 11:14]. These families who became believers were islands of Christian life in an unbelieving world (CCC1655). Believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesia domestica (CCC1656). 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 (CCC1657). We must remember the great number of single persons ... The doors of homes, the "domestic churches," and of the great family which is the Church must be open to all of them. "No one is without a family in this world: the Church is a home and family for everyone, especially those who 'labor and are heavy laden'" [Mt 11:28] (CCC1658).
The Marriage Union Is Indissoluble, God Has Joined Together
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 (CCC1640). The matrimonial union of man and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined it "what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder" [Mt 19:6] (CCC1614). How can I ever express the happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father?... How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit (CCC1642).
Sacramental marriage is a liturgical act. It is therefore appropriate that it should be celebrated in the public liturgy of the Church; Marriage introduces one into an ecclesial order, and creates rights and duties in the Church between the spouses and towards their children; Since marriage is a state of life in the Church, certainty about it is necessary (hence the obligation to have witnesses); The public character of the consent protects the "I do" once given and helps the spouses remain faithful to it (CCC1631). 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 (CCC1622).
The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself [Mk 10:9]. From their covenant arises an institution, confirmed by the divine law,... even in the eyes of society. The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: Authentic married love is caught up into divine love (CCC1639). 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." This consent that binds the spouses to each other finds its fulfillment in the two "becoming one flesh" [Gen 2:24; Mt 10:8; Eph 5:31] (CCC1627).
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 (CCC1638). 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. By this grace they help one another to attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children (CCC1641). 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 their indissoluble unity, and sanctifies them on the way to eternal life (CCC1661).
The Marriage Covenant Establishes A Partnership Of The Whole Of Life
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 raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament (CCC1601). Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church [1 Cor 7:39; Eph 5:31-32] (CCC1602).
Sacraments are "powers that comes forth" from the Body of Christ, [Lk 5:17; 6:19; 8:46] which is ever-living and life-giving. They are actions of the Holy Spirit at work in his Body, the Church. They are "the masterworks of God" in the new and everlasting covenant (CCC1116). Christian marriage in its turn becomes an efficacious sign, the sacrament of the covenant of Christ and the Church. Since it signifies and communicates grace, marriage between baptized persons is a true sacrament of the New Covenant (CCC1617). In the epiclesis of this sacrament the spouses receive the Holy Spirit as the communion of love of Christ and the Church [Eph 5:32]. The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the ever available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity (CCC1624).
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.... God himself is the author of marriage. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes (CCC1603). 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. The presence of the Church's minister (and also of the witnesses) visibly expresses the fact that marriage is an ecclesial reality (CCC1630).
The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself [Mk 10:9]. From their covenant arises an institution, confirmed by the divine law,... even in the eyes of society. The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: Authentic married love is caught up into divine love (CCC1639). How can I ever express the happiness of a marriage joined by the Church, strengthened by an offering, sealed by a blessing, announced by angels, and ratified by the Father?... How wonderful the bond between two believers, now one in hope, one in desire, one in discipline, one in the same service! They are both children of one Father and servants of the same Master, undivided in spirit and flesh, truly two in one flesh. Where the flesh is one, one also is the spirit (CCC1642). 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 [ Eph 5:32]. The Holy Spirit is the seal of their covenant, the ever available source of their love and the strength to renew their fidelity (CCC1624).
The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him [Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13; 1 Cor 6:15-17; 2 Cor 11:2]. The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb [Rev 22:17; Eph 1:4. 5:27]. "Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her" [Eph 5:25-26]. He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body [Eph 5:29]. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church" [Eph 5:31-32]. And the Lord himself says in the Gospel: "So they are no longer two, but one flesh" [Mt 19:6]. They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union,... as head, he calls himself the bridegroom, as body, he calls himself "bride" (CCC796).
Marriage is a reality of this present age which is passing away [Mk 12:25; 1 Cor 7:31] (CCC1619). The Lord Jesus insisted on the original intention of the Creator who willed that marriage be indissoluble [Mt 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Mk 10 9; Lk 16:18; 1 Cor 7:10-ll]. He abrogates the accommodations that had slipped into the old Law [Mt 19:7-9]. Between the baptized, a ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death (CCC2382).
Polygamy In The Old Testament, Unity Developed Under The Old Law
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 (CCC1610). According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, [Rom 7:12, 14, 16] yet still imperfect. Like a tutor [Gal 3:24] it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a "law of concupiscence" in the human heart [Rom 7]. However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God (CCC1963). The Old Law is a preparation for the Gospel (CCC1964). Moses permitted men to divorce their wives [Mt 19:8; Deut 24:1] (CCC1610). 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 [Mt 19:8]. The matrimonial union of man and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined it "what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder" [Mt 19:6] (CCC1614). 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 and marries another, she commits adultery" [Mk 10:11-12] the Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was (CCC1650).
The Law of the Gospel "fulfills," refines, surpasses, and leads the Old Law to its perfection [Mt 5:17-19] (CCC1967). The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit received by faith in Christ, operating through charity. It finds expression above all in the Lord's Sermon on the Mount and uses the sacraments to communicate grace to us (CCC1983). The New Law is a law of love, a law of grace, a law of freedom (CCC1983). The Law of the Gospel fulfills the commandments of the Law. The Lord's Sermon on the Mount, far from abolishing or devaluing the moral prescriptions of the Old Law, releases their hidden potential and has new demands arise from them: it reveals their entire divine and human truth (CCC1968). The entire Law of the Gospel is contained in the "new commandment" of Jesus, to love one another as he has loved us [Jn 15:12; 13:34] (CCC1970).
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. However, Jesus has not placed on spouses a burden impossible to bear, or too heavy - heavier than the Law of Moses [Mk 8:34; Mt 11:29-30]. By coming to restore the original order of creation disturbed by sin, he himself gives the strength and grace to live marriage in the new dimension of the Reign of God (CCC1615). 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 and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the Church" [Eph 5:25-26, 31-32; Gen 2:24] (CCC1616).
Adultery, divorce, polygamy, and free union are grave offenses against the dignity of marriage (CCC2400). 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. Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive (CCC1645). 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. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility (CCC1643). The married couple forms the intimate partnership of life and love established by the Creator and governed by his laws; it is rooted in the conjugal covenant, that is, in their irrevocable personal consent. Both give themselves definitively and totally to one another. They are no longer two; from now on they form one flesh. The covenant they freely contracted imposes on the spouses the obligation to preserve it as unique and indissoluble "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder" [Mk 10:9; Mt 19:1-12; 1 Cor 7: 10-11] (CCC2364).
Polygamy is not in accord with the moral law. [Conjugal] communion is radically contradicted by polygamy; this, in fact, directly negates the plan of God which was revealed from the beginning, because it is contrary to the equal personal dignity of men and women who in matrimony give themselves with a love that is total and therefore unique and exclusive (CCC2387). Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone" [Gen 2:18]. The woman, "flesh of his flesh," i.e., 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 [Gen 2:18-25]. "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh" [Gen 2:24]. The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh" [Mt 19:6] (CCC1605).