Premarital Relations
What is so wrong about supporting Christian moral principles? Premarital relations have become so common in some segments of Western society that Christian teaching on its sinfulness is a scandal to some defendants of contemporary morality. Like contraception, however, fornication as the voluntary sexual intercourse between unmarried persons was forbidden to the followers of Christ […]
CONTRACEPTION … IS IT ALWAYS WRONG?
We refer this delicate question also to the prudent consideration of those who are competent. Here we only touch upon it to remind you that any act, willfully malicious, which tends to deprive the conjugal union of its reproductive power is gravely culpable. This is an especially demanding element of God’s law. Married couples should […]
Prepare yourself for the ‘Marriage Debate’
CATHOLIC CIVIL RIGHTS LEAGUE Each of us has a responsibility to give reasons for our beliefs. That same-sex relationships are not marriages can be understood and defended by rational people. We have summarized the debate into four strong arguments supporting marriage, four counter arguments to typical pro-homosexual “marriage” challenges, and four responses to red-herring arguments […]
One Man, One Woman
ROBERT P. GEORGE The case for preserving the definition of marriage. Last week, in its ruling in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts by a vote of 4-3 struck down that state’s marriage law as “failing to meet the rational basis test for either due process or equal protection.” The […]
Divorce in Canon Law and Holy Scripture
Divorce, in canon law, signifies the dissolution of the marriage bond or the permanent separation of the parties, the bond remaining. A valid Christian marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any cause except death. Mal. 2:14-16 – You ask, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness to the covenant […]
What is an Annulment/Decree of Nullity?
An annulment, properly called a Decree of Nullity, is a finding by a Church tribunal that on the day the vows were exchanged at least some essential element for a valid marriage was lacking, such as, one of the parties did not intend lifelong fidelity to the other person or excluded children entirely. Another example would be […]
What is considered a valid marriage in the eyes of the Catholic Church?
The Church teaches, as does Jesus in Mt 19:9, that every Christian marriage is indissoluble except by the death of one of the spouses. No power on earth can dissolve a ratified and consummated union of two baptized Christians (one in which vows have been validly exchanged and which has been later consummated by intercourse). […]
Internet Pornography
Pornography hurts adults, children, couples, families, and society. Among adolescents, pornography hinders the development of a healthy sexuality, and among adults, it distorts sexual attitudes and social realities. In families, pornography use leads to marital dissatisfaction, infidelity, separation, and divorce. Here are some of the most credible statistics available today on internet pornography.[1] General Pornography […]
Same-sex Marriage — The Big Lie
Victor R. Claveau, MJ No matter how outrageous the lie, if it is said often enough, and loud enough, people will begin to believe it. The expression, “The Big Lie” (German: Große Lüge) was coined by Adolf Hitler, in his autobiography, Mein Kampf,[1]which combined autobiographical elements with an exposition of political philosophy. The source of […]
A Basic Theology of Marriage
Christopher West The twentieth century witnessed significant developments in the Church’s theology of marriage, beginning with Pope Pius XI’s 1930 encyclical Casti Connubii, passing through the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, and culminating in the manifold writings and original insights of Pope John Paul II. In fact, over two thirds of what […]