Catholic Teaching on Marriage

The Catholic Church continues to teach that marriage is between one man and one woman: “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” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1601).

Marriage- Good for Spouses, Children and Society

“By bringing together a man and a woman into a lifelong commitment, marriage fosters a unique partnership of love, stability and mutual self-giving for the relationship and any children to come from their union. Marriage provides positive benefits for spouses, develops a positive environment in which to raise children and promotes stability for society”
(cf. http://www.michigancelebratesmarriage.com/).

For more information and a list of resources on this topic, visit the Michigan Celebrates Marriage website.

More on the Sacrament of Marriage

The Catholic Church teaches that a married couple’s relationship expresses in a unique way the unbreakable bond of love between Christ and his people, and therefore, marriage is a sacrament.  Like the other six sacraments of the Church, marriage is a sign or symbol which reveals the Lord Jesus and through which his divine life and love are communicated.

In a sacramental marriage, God’s love becomes present to the spouses in their total union and also flows through them to their family and community. By their permanent, faithful and exclusive giving to each other, symbolized in sexual intercourse, the couple reveals something of God’s unconditional love.

The sacrament of Christian marriage involves the husband and wife’s entire life as they journey together through the ups and downs of marriage and become more able to give and receive from each other. Their life becomes sacramental to the extent that the couple cooperates with God’s action in their lives and sees themselves as living “in Christ,” with Christ living and acting in their relationship, attitudes and actions.