Can a permantly impotent person marry?

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Rence said:
I don’t know about anyone else but the above analogy was never really helpful to me in understanding or even accepting teachings. In one case (the person being told s/he can’t marry because they can’t complete the marital act) the person is being told they aren’t allowed to get married, dictated by Church rules and laws. In the other case (men cannot give birth), no one has to tell a man he can’t give birth because he isn’t physiologically able to do so. There’s a difference between being told one isn’t allowed to do something, and actually really not able to do something because it’s not possible.
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How about allowing a blind person to be a bus driver? He cannot be a bus driver because he cannot see.

An impotent man (not someone who can be remedied in someway) cannot enter into a sacramental marriage because he cannot have the “one flesh union”. It isn’t possible.
 
Marie5890 said:
Real question here. What makes a female impotent? What would make her incapable of vaginal penetration?
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A couple of possibilities.

A physical deformity. A mental/psychological impairment. Or a true physical mismatch in size between the specific woman and man’s genitalia rendering penetration not possible.
 
Marie5890 said:
Real question here. What makes a female impotent? What would make her incapable of vaginal penetration?
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A woman with an occluded vagina would be canonically impotent. What is strange though is that a women with an anterior occluded vagina would not be sterile but impotent, while a woman with problems with the post vaginal organs would be sterile but not canonically impotent
 
Rence said:
Well, I think it’s unfair too. Especially since sterile people are allowed to marry because “anything is possible with God”. Because who is to say that God can’t fix this too? If God wanted an impotent couple to complete the marital embrace, they would be able to. So if a married man is denied a valid marriage because his medications make him unable to complete the marital embrace, or because he had an accident that rendered him unable, aren’t we putting ourselves in the position of God by determining that the couple will not be able to do so? The teaching doesn’t give God the opportunity to be God and work His Will in our lives.

Also, impotence doesn’t necessarily mean sterile. Artificial insemination (even with one’s own husband) is against the Church’s rules. IMOHO that’s not fair (nor does it make sense to me) at all… but that’s the way it is.

But IMOHO it’s also unfair that a married couple who wants children, who for whatever reason after the marriage finds themselves not able to complete the marital embrace, is still considered to be in a valid marriage (and therefore not able to divorce and remarry in order to have children) because impotency after the marriage is not considered a reason for annullment (unless there was dishonesty involved in the disclosure of that impotency before they married), even if it’s “given” that the couple will never complete the marital embrace again.
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Rence, I perceive that what you need is to understand the entire church teaching on sex, love and marriage- Have you ever heard of The theology of the Body by John Paul II? The entire orientation of your thinking is upside down, warped by the upside-down value system of the modern world, and that world view and value system must shift in order to see these things with the sight of truth which is the mind of catholic faith- It’ll blow your mind!

No view of the human person, his meaning and purpose, his nature, body and soul, human love, sex and relationships is more beautiful, mystical or holistic or rings as true to our reason, experience and understanding of reality as the truth taught in our faith. The whole beauty and purpose of human love, both sexual and non-sexual, will make all these things click into place and you’ll get it- I promise you. Do a search, look for the books on the theology of the body and undertake a long prayerful study of them. This truth, when lived wholeheartedly and faithfully leads to true happiness- for everyone! Celibate, married, single, widowed, parent, impotent, sterile or otherwise. Because it’s not based on presumed (and false) superficial ideas of human wants, but on a true understanding of true human needs- the need to love truly and completely and to receive genuine love in return. I hope you give it a shot.

Peace!
 
1ke said:
Or a true physical mismatch in size between the specific woman and man’s genitalia rendering penetration not possible.
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:rotfl:

That would be hu-freakin-larious and a bit of a strange position to be in. Imagine the couple would be capable of having children but not capable of a marriage. I would hate to have to separate because of that.
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
How about allowing a blind person to be a bus driver? He cannot be a bus driver because he cannot see.

An impotent man (not someone who can be remedied in someway) cannot enter into a sacramental marriage because he cannot have the “one flesh union”. It isn’t possible.
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The blind man can’t drive a bus because it directly effects the safety and well being of other people. An importent person getting into a marriage does not effect anyone.

I find it chiling that so many Catholics seem to look for reasons why others can’t do things in life. It’s creepy.
 
Marybeloved said:
I find this curious

There’s a certain “rights” mentality in the West that pervades into areas where it really does not belong- The word no longer means recognizing and defending the dignity of each human being, but has come rather to mean giving everyone what they want. Life is more than getting everything you want, and not getting what you want is not necessarily a punishment.

An impotent person is prevented by nature (not the Church), from entering a permanent “institution” which requires those who enter it to give a gift that the person cannot give. He’s not prevented from enjoying life, love and (sinless) companionship and the warmth of community- Humans are more than sex and/or romance and can be very happy w/out them- just ask the many single chaste Catholics who are obedient to the faith :D!
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Tell that to the parents of adopted children-that there marriage isn’t valid.

Luckily, the views that impotent people can’t/shouldn’t marry are in the minority. Prevelant on the internet, but in the real world, not very relevant.
 
Rence said:
Well, I think it’s unfair too. Especially since sterile people are allowed to marry because “anything is possible with God”. Because who is to say that God can’t fix this too? If God wanted an impotent couple to complete the marital embrace, they would be able to.

But IMOHO it’s also unfair that a married couple who wants children, who for whatever reason after the marriage finds themselves not able to complete the marital embrace, is still considered to be in a valid marriage (and therefore not able to divorce and remarry in order to have children) because impotency after the marriage is not considered a reason for annullment (unless there was dishonesty involved in the disclosure of that impotency before they married), even if it’s “given” that the couple will never complete the marital embrace again.
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We make a great team Rence! Your my tag team partner! 😃
 
Rascalking said:
The blind man can’t drive a bus because it directly effects the safety and well being of other people. An importent person getting into a marriage does not effect anyone.

I find it chilling that so many Catholics seem to look for reasons why others can’t do things in life. It’s creepy.
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You find it chilling that a Catholic agrees with canon law and tries to explain it? This type of permanent impotence can be cause for a* civil *annulment as well.
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
You find it chilling that a Catholic agrees with canon law and tries to explain it? This type of permanent impotence can be cause for a* civil *annulment as well.
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It was nothing personal against you. It’s more like a general statement.
 
Rascalking said:
I find it chiling that so many Catholics seem to look for reasons why others can’t do things in life. It’s creepy.
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I had the exact same thought. Right down to the creepy.

I even expressed that to the Lord in prayer.
 
Rence said:
I’m always assumed to be living in sin because I’m single. It’s not always practical (or necessary) to base our life choices on what other people think…
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why would anyone assume you are living in sin because you are single?
 
Marie5890 said:
Real question here. What makes a female impotent? What would make her incapable of vaginal penetration?
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There can be physical conditions that makes penetration too painful and there are psychological conditions that affect a woman’s ability to engage in vaginal sex.
 
Rence said:
If that’s true before the marriage, I don’t really get why it’s not true after the marriage…
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Could you clarify your question, please: do you mean impotence after marriage or are you referring to a couple who choose not to have sex after marriage.
 
Marie5890 said:
Real question here. What makes a female impotent? What would make her incapable of vaginal penetration?
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It is usually inferred that impotence refers to men alone. The obvious case being the male who cannot have an erection. Females too can be impotent. It may arise from congenital (born with) deformity of, trauma to, or disease to the female genitalia. Female impotence also arises if the male’s penis is such that it cannot be inserted into the vagina owing to a gross distortion in their sizes.
 
vsedriver said:
why would anyone assume you are living in sin because you are single?
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Rence is on to something that religious people should admit. Many times, religious people DO jump to conclusions. I should know, it happened to me personally. I had :: gasp :: a pregnant girl spend the night at my apartment about 8 years ago. A neighbor commented to me with a sneer-“I didn’t know you had a pregnant girlfriend.” She went to my church and was clearly surprised. I said to her, “It’s my sister. Her husband is in Iraq fighting for our country and she didn’t want to be alone.” I then told the lady what I thought of her (not repeatable :D) for jumping to conclusions and being a judgemental jerk. She was clearly surprised and very sorry.

As fun as it might be to jump to conclusions and act judgemental, it will eventually make a fool out of you.
 
Is male impotence that cannot be fixed by medical intervention very common? I would tend to think with modern medicine, pills, surgery, ect, there would be very few instances where this was the case. I’m not a doctor though.
 
Rascalking said:
Tell that to the parents of adopted children-that there marriage isn’t valid.
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I honestly have no idea what you’re trying to say here or how it relates to the topic of invalidity of marriage by permanently impotent persons in Catholic faith 🤷.
Luckily, the views that impotent people can’t/shouldn’t marry are in the minority. Prevelant on the internet, but in the real world, not very relevant.
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I wonder what real world you’re referring to. The OP asked based on an answer in the Apologetics section, why it is that permanent impotence invalidates marriage- A question on Catholic teaching, so your comment here is bizarre. Do you imagine that the majority of Catholic clergy “in the real world” teach something different from Catholic teaching on the matter?
 
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