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God Himself is the Author of Marriage. The Bible tells us very clearly that after creating the universe and all that was therein contained, Yahweh God decided to create the human being; “in His own image. In the image of God, He created them; male and female he created them.” (Gen.1:27) Then “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”(Gen.1:28). This is a glowing testimony that God Himself (not human beings) is the author of marriage. So it does not matter whether one believes in God or not; whether our marriage is Christian or not. Marriage is a natural institution and its initiative lies in and with God: “The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman…. (therefore) marriage is not a purely human institution.”(CCC 1603) Marriage is the Foundation of all Vocations Since, the initiative to marry, lies with God not with the human being, God calls and the spouses respond. Unfortunately, far too many people are “married” today who should never have married because, they did not, and do not have the VOCATION to marry. Marriage is not a “choice” which one gets up one morning and takes. It is a response to a call from God. In fact, marriage is rightly thought of as the foundation of all vocations and the basis of the society. Without marriage and the family, there can be no vocations to the Priesthood or the Consecrated Life. Yet, often when we talk about “vocations”, very few ever consider marriage as the foundational call. In fact, the profound problems today with the vocation to the Priesthood and Religious Life, are a spillover from more serious misunderstandings in, and about Marriage. What is Marriage? The question may appear rhetorical and banal; yet the right answer to it, determines and influences our daily lives. Perhaps the best explanation of what marriage actually is (and this has stood at least two millennia of rigorous scrutiny) is the definition given in Canon 1055: “Marriage is a Covenant, by which a man and woman, establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered towards the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring.” This definition calls marriage a “covenant” (not a “contract”, not an “agreement”, not a mere coming to live together. A covenant has religious overtones which demand an oath made before God seeking his blessing. And “what God has put together, man must not put asunder.” That is why “divorce” in marriage is a misnomal; the implication of the “marriage covenant” should remind us that the essential properties of marriage are UNITY and INDISSOLUBILITY. The two are no longer two but one; and what God has united, no one has the power to disunite (cf. Mtt.19: 5-7) The Reasons for Marriage There are basically two essential reasons for the marriage vocation the good of the spouses; and
the procreation and upbringing of children. These two reasons are found in Scriptures and also in the aforementioned canonical definition of marriage. The bible tells us that after creating everything, “there was no helpmate suitable for Adam.” So Yahweh God created Eve as a helpmate; because “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen.2:18). Hence the primary purpose of marriage is to provide partnership for life. The good of the spouses is primordial, and that explains why the Church does not consider “childlessness” as a diriment impediment. Difficult as it may be in an African society, the first duty of marriage is the good of the spouses. M a r r i a g e creates a community of love between the spouses; and this love should, and must be open to procreation. When and if, this love becomes fruitful, then the couple have an obligation to also look after their children. This is the second purpose of marriage – procreation and the proper education of children. A Marriage Covenant Can Only be Established Between a Male and Female Given the aforementioned definition of marriage, two crucial points are clearly evident. First, marriage is only valid when a male marries a female. If we were to accept “same-sex unions” as “marriages” (as some want us to), then we would be violating the second reason for marriage – openness to procreation and upbringing of children. That is why it is sometimes ridiculous that homosexuals, despite their choice, often want to adopt children (from where would these children come if everyone held to their ideology?). The other implication of the marriage covenant lies in the fact that marriage can only be truly meaningful within the context of monogamy (one man, one wife). Polygamy (a union of more than one to one) seems untenable. When a man marries many women, this is technically called “polygyny”, and when a woman marries many men, this is “polyandry”. Both types of marriages are practiced in different parts of the world. Polygamy properly understood would mean that when a man takes a second or third wife (polygyny), his wife can also take a second and third husband (polyandry) all within the same “marriage”. And this would be “socially” impracticable and complicated; in fact, we have probably never ever had any real situation of “POLYGAMY” because it is impossible. And that is the reason why properly understood, marriage can only be established between a male and a female.
Diriment Impediments to Marriage An impediment in marriage, is an obstacle, or whatever stands on the way of the couple. There are many of these, but there are 12 impediments which invalidate and nullify any marriage, whether these are known or not. These are called “diriment impediments”; and Canons 1073-1094 outlines them as follows: Age, Consanguinity, Affinity, Impotency, Prior Bond, Notorious Concubines, Abduction, Adoption, Disparity of Cult, Holy Orders, Solemn Religious Profession, Crime. Each of these impediments deserve special treatment for us to properly understand why they invalidate marriage. This means that wherever and whenever these impediments are present, all acts carried out are null and void. This will be our consideration in our next catechesis.
