Holy Matrimony

Holy Matrimony: the Sacrament in which a baptized man and a baptized woman form with each other a lifelong covenantal communion of life and love that signifies the union of Christ and the Church and through which they are given the grace to live out this union (CCC 1601, 1603, 1613-1616; 1642)

• 1. Understanding the Sacrament: Jesus raises marriage to the dignity of a Sacrament.
  • a. Scriptural basis (Jn 2: 1-11; Mt 19: 1-15; Mt 5:31-32) (CCC, 1614-1615)
  • b. Historical development (CCC, 1602-1620)
  • c. Theology
    • 1) Sacramental Marriage (CCC, 1621-1630)
    • 2) Mixed marriages/Disparity of Cult (CCC, 1633-1637)
      • a) Conditions for permission/dispensation
• 2. Celebration
  • a. Within Mass (CCC, 1621-1624)
  • b. Within Liturgy of the Word
• 3. Essential elements
  • a. Free consent of the couple (CCC, 1625-1629, 1632)
  • b. Consent given in the presence of the Church’s minister and two witnesses (CCC, 1630-1631)
• 4. Effects (CCC, 1638-1642)
• 5. Requirements for reception
  • a. Baptism (CCC, 1617, 1625, 1633)
  • b. No prior bond or other impediments (CCC, 1625)
  • c. Able to give free consent (CCC, 1625, 1627)
  • d. Celebration of marriage according to Church law (CCC, 1625-1637)
• 6. Ministers: The spouses before priest or deacon and two other witnesses (CCC, 1623, 1630) (N.B., In Eastern Churches, the priest is the minister of the Sacrament)
• 7. The requirements of marriage
  • a. Unity and indissolubility (CCC, 1644-1645)
  • b. Fidelity (CCC, 1646-1651)
  • c. Openness to children (CCC, 1652-1654)
• 8. Divorce, Declaration of Nullity, remarriages (CCC, 1650)
• 9. Implications
• 10. Appropriating and living this Sacrament (CCC, 1657)