Relationships: Marriage (AQA GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

Valid marriage in the Catholic Church

What is a valid marriage in Catholic Christianity?

• A valid marriage meets the Catholic Church’s requirements so that it is recognised by God and the Church

• The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a sacrament and a lifelong commitment

  • Marriage is a sacrament because it shows God’s love in the world

  • It gives grace to help the couple stay faithful

  • It also reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church

What are the requirements for a valid Catholic marriage?

• There are many requirements in the Catholic Church for a marriage to be declared valid

  • Marriage must be between one man and one woman

    • This reflects Catholic teachings on creation and natural law

  • Marriage must be a lifelong commitment

    • Marriage is seen as permanent

    • Divorce is not recognised by Catholic Christians

  • Faithfulness is essential for a Catholic marriage

    • Marriage must be exclusive

    • Adultery breaks marriage vows, so it is sinful and is therefore forbidden

  • A couple must go into a marriage with an openness to having children

    • Sex should be for procreation (having children)

  • Consent to marriage is very important within Catholic Christianity

    • Both partners must freely choose to marry

    • Forced marriage is not valid

  • Marriage should take place in a church to show that it is both public and sacred

    • There should also be a Catholic priest to conduct the service

    • There must also be witnesses present at the wedding

The nature of marriage and marriage vows

What are marriage vows and why are they important to Catholics?

• Marriage vows are promises made before God during the wedding ceremony

• The vows include many promises, including:

  • To be faithful to each other

  • To stay together for life

  • To love each other in good times and bad

  • To accept children lovingly from God

• There are many reasons why vows are important to Catholic Christians

  • They are important because they show commitment and responsibility

  • They are promises made to God in front of other people, which make them more significant

    • Because vows are made to God, breaking them is considered sinful

• In Catholic Church teachings, marriage vows show the true nature of marriage

  • They show that marriage is sacramental because vows are made before God

  • They demonstrate that marriage should be lifelong because vows promise commitment “until death”

  • They also show that marriage should be faithful because vows promise exclusivity

  • They demonstrate that marriage should be loving because they express self-giving love

  • They show responsibility through both partners being open to the possibility of having children

Catholic guidelines on annulment, divorce and remarriage

What are Catholic guidelines on divorce?

• The Catholic Church teaches that divorce is wrong 

  • They believe this because marriage is viewed as a sacrament

    • This means that it is a lifelong, exclusive covenant between a man and a woman

    • It also signifies the unbreakable bond between Christ and his Church

  • Divorce is also considered wrong because the vows taken during the marriage ceremony promise that it will be for life

• Catholics believe that a valid Catholic marriage cannot be ended by divorce

  • Anyone who gets divorced is still viewed as married in the eyes of God

What is an annulment for Roman Catholics?

• Although divorce is not permitted for Roman Catholics, an annulment can be allowed in certain circumstances

• An annulment is not the same as a divorce 

  • It is a legal declaration by the Church that the marriage was never valid in the first place

• There are several reasons why an annulment might be granted

  • If there was no free consent (forced marriage)

  • If one partner was not open to having children

  • If one partner was already married

  • If there was a lack of understanding of lifelong commitment

• If an annulment is granted, it means the initial marriage was cancelled, so it is not the same as a divorce

What is the Roman Catholic attitude to remarriage?

• Catholics who are divorced cannot remarry in a Catholic church

  • This is because the Catholic Church believe that the original marriage is still valid

• However, if an annulment is granted, a Catholic may remarry in church

  • This is because the Church says the first marriage was not valid

Different perspectives on marriage

Remarriage after the death of a spouse

• There is one circumstance in which a Roman Catholic is permitted to remarry

  • This is when a person’s husband or wife dies

• There are several reasons why this is allowed

  • The marriage vows last “until death”, and therefore the promise made before God is not broken

  • The death of either partner naturally ends the marriage bond

    • This means that the surviving spouse is free to remarry

• However, divorce is not a legitimate reason to remarry

  • Divorce might be a legal ending in the eyes of the law, but it is not a spiritual ending in the eyes of the Catholic Church

  • If someone were to get divorced and then remarry in a different church, the marriage would not be recognised and the relationship would be viewed as adultery

Ethical arguments related to divorce

What are the ethical arguments related to divorce in Catholic Christianity?

• The Catholic Church teaches that divorce is wrong because marriage is a sacrament and a lifelong commitment made before God

• There are many ethical reasons for Catholic beliefs about divorce

  • Catholics believe in the sanctity of marriage

    • This means that marriage is sacred and vows are made before God

    • Breaking those vows would be morally wrong, especially those made before God

  • Marriage is seen as a lifelong commitment 

    • The vows taken are “until death”, and divorce contradicts this promise

    • The rules on divorce demonstrate that faithfulness and responsibility matter

  • Divorce has an impact upon family and children

    • This can cause emotional harm to families, particularly children

    • Actions should minimise harm to others

  • Not allowing divorce follows the teachings of Jesus

    • Jesus taught that divorce goes against God’s plan 

    • Christians should follow Jesus’s moral example

  • Although divorce is not permitted, Catholics accept that sometimes divorce can lead to safety for some people, for example, when abuse is involved

    • Protecting life is also very important in Catholic teaching

  • Catholics also believe that divorced people should be treated with love and respect and not rejected by the church