Pope John Paul II gave a Homily on Christian marriage which represents the authoritative teaching of the Catholic Church. “In marriage a man and woman give themselves completely to eachother.” This shows that man doesn’t belong to himself but to his wife and he should dedicate himself purely to sharing in her love and so to, a woman should put her husband before herself.
The marriage vows are a large part of Christian beliefs. They state “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.” They’re the basic outline of the journey the couple are about to embark on. These vows are sacred and so should be taken into practice. “For better, for worse,” this means that the couple should stay with each other no matter how bad things might get, no matter how big their problems.
“For richer, for poorer,” this means that even if the couple come into great debt and money causes complications, they should still strive to keep their relationship going strong.
“In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,” this means that the couple should love each other even through life threatening illnesses. For example, if a partner was unfortunate enough to get Alzheimer’s, they should still cherish the love that they have with their partner, even if it isn’t the original love they first felt. The disease doesn’t change the spirit they first fell in love with, so the disease shouldn’t change the other partner.
Finally, “Till death us do part,” perhaps the most important part of the vows; meaning that the couple should love each other and continue their marriage until one of them dies, so that the marriage will have the long life that God wants.
An additional important Christian belief is the permanence of marriage. In the marriage ceremony, permanence is highlighted in the marriage vows; “Till death do us part.” This is the ultimate confirmation that permanence is a key aspect of marriage. The vows are a covenant and so to go against them has consequences. The vows are the actual moment of the sacrament and are a significant reflection of the marriage outlook they should have. Permanence is also found in the questions asked by the Priest; “Will you love and honour eachother for life?” By answering this question, the couple are declaring that the commitment they’re making to eachother and to God is for life. This affirms the foundations for what marriage means and, like the vows, is vital for success and joy in marriage. The life-long fidelity of marriage is symbolised by the rings as rings are an everlasting circle reflecting the love fore eachother and for God.
Jesus also taught about divorce; “ a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife and the two will become one. No human being must separate what God has joined together.” (Lk 16:18) This reinforces the permanency of marriage and also shows that God’s plan for most people is marriage as it mirrors God’s love which lasts forever. This shows why Roman Catholics reject divorce. The Catechism states that “The remarriage of persons divorced from a living lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ.” (1665) This supports the fact that marriage is God’s plan for most people and shouldn’t be dismissed.
Also Jesus said, “A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife.” He teaches that marriage is for life and should not be dissolved by divorce. In the eyes of the church, if a partner is still alive then one is breaking, not only breaking permanency, one’s breaking exclusiveness. The only way is through an annulment. An annulment declares that what was thought to be a true, marriage was in fact invalid, that it was never a true marriage at all. The Catechism states that “The remarriage of persons divorced from a living lawful spouse contravenes the plan and law of God as taught by Christ.” (1665) This supports the fact that marriage is God’s plan for most people and shouldn’t be dismissed.
Different Christian denominations take different reasons on whether they can re-marry. Many of free churches believe marriage ends with the death of love and they accept divorce because it’s in the Christians best interest to have their marriage blessed. However, Catholic’s don’t accept divorce under any circumstances.
Anther important Christian belief is the life giving potential of the sacrament of marriage. Sex is the reward for a successful marriage and should not occur without the intention to continue God’s creation. In the marriage ceremony, the couple are asked “will you accept children lovingly from God?” This is paramount in marriage as children are at the heart of God’s creation and the love of eachother leads to the generation of new life.
Also, Pope Paul VI said, “every marriage act must remain open to the transition of life.” This outlines the authoritative teaching of the Church.
Overall, all Christians, and I, believe that marriage is a permanent, life giving and exclusive and Roman Catholics believe that marriage is made holy in a sacrament. When two people truly, deeply love each other, the joy marriage brings them is like no other. After all, it is God’s plan for most for us.
