marriage & family

"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." CCC 1601

marriage in god's plan

"The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman..." CCC1603

God created man out of love and calls him to love.
CCC 1604

The discord between man and woman comes from sin.
CCC 1606-7

Punishments that come from sin also embody remedies. Marriage helps overcome sin.
CCC 1609

Christ restores original order of creation; gives strength & grace to live marriage in new dimension
CCC 1615

celebration of marriage

MATRIMONIAL CONSENT

• Baptized man and woman
• Free to contract marriage
• not under constraint
• not impeded
• exchange of consent indispensible
• if freedom is lacking, marriage invali

the effects of matrimony

conjugal love

"Conjugal love involves a totality..."
CCC 1643

"...they are no longer two, but one flesh."
CCC 1644

By it's very nature, conjugal love requires inviolable fidelity
CCC 1646

Married love is ordered to procreation and education of children
CCC 1652