Can Catholics get married if they cannot have children?

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littlebird

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Please respond with catechism references.

Here is the situation: A significant other cannot have children ever. It is physically impossible and cannot be fixed. The couple are both 25 years of age and are Catholic. Can they get married in a Catholic church ?

I am hoping for a simple “yes” or “no” with catechism references.
 
Yes they can get married.

Can. 1084 §1. Antecedent and perpetual impotence to have intercourse, whether on the part of the man or the woman, whether absolute or relative, nullifies marriage by its very nature.

§2. If the impediment of impotence is doubtful, whether by a doubt about the law or a doubt about a fact, a marriage must not be impeded nor, while the doubt remains, declared null.

§3. Sterility neither prohibits nor nullifies marriage, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 1098.

Canon 1098 speaks of deception. This means that the partner who knows before the marriage that he/she is sterile must inform the other before the marriage so that there is full consent.
 
And just to clarify, that comes from the Code of Canon Law, not the Catechism. This isn’t addressed explicitly in the Catechism.
 
Phemie said:
Yes they can get married.

Can. 1084 §1. Antecedent and perpetual impotence to have intercourse, whether on the part of the man or the woman, whether absolute or relative, nullifies marriage by its very nature.

§2. If the impediment of impotence is doubtful, whether by a doubt about the law or a doubt about a fact, a marriage must not be impeded nor, while the doubt remains, declared null.

§3. Sterility neither prohibits nor nullifies marriage, without prejudice to the prescript of ⇒ can. 1098.

Canon 1098 speaks of deception. This means that the partner who knows before the marriage that he/she is sterile must inform the other before the marriage so that there is full consent.
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You just contradicted yourself. First you say “yes” then you post canon 1084.1

If (and I say IF) Canon 1084.1 applies to the situation, then they cannot validly marry.

There is no “yes or no” answer to the OPs question.

The OP has not posted enough information for anyone to provide an answer.
 
I specifically emphasized Canon 1084.3 which says sterility is not an impediment, which is how I interpreted the question.

But you’re correct, she may well have meant more than I initially read. Rereading her question, she may well have meant that she is capable but must not, in which case I would have answered much differently.
 
Phemie said:
I specifically emphasized Canon 1084.3 which says sterility is not an impediment, which is how I interpreted the question.

But you’re correct, she may well have meant more than I initially read. Rereading her question, she may well have meant that she is capable but must not, in which case I would have answered much differently.
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That still is not what I mean.

No one can answer the OPs question based on the information posted.

There is no way of knowing if 1084 §1 might apply to the situation; therefore there is still no way to know an answer.
 
Hello,

What more information is needed to answer this question ?
 
littlebird said:
Hello,

What more information is needed to answer this question ?
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There are other issues which affect ability to marry. If your question is “can they marry?”, then the answer depends not only on the one issue you raised, but on all the possible impediments to marriage. For example, if your friends are already married to other people, then they can’t marry in the Church. If one friend is a priest and the other a nun, then they can’t marry in the Church. etc, etc, etc… 😉

If, on the other hand, your question was simply “does infertility make marriage impossible?”, then we can answer your question: no, infertility does not make marriage impossible.

If your friends wish to discuss the potential for their marriage in the Church, I would advise that they talk to their pastor.

Blessings,
G.
 
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Gorgias said:
If, on the other hand, your question was simply “does infertility make marriage impossible?”, then we can answer your question: no, infertility does not make marriage impossible.
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And YET AGAIN this does not address the issue of canon 1084§1

How many times do I have to keep posting it?

There is no way to know if that canon applies to the OPs question because the question (AS STATED) might be about EITHER §1 or §3.

This is exactly why people who do not understand the Code should not attempt to answer questions about it.
 
FrDavid96 said:
This is exactly why people who do not understand the Code should not attempt to answer questions about it.
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:roll_eyes:

How much more simple does it need to get? If the OP is asking about ‘infertility’, §3 answers the question completely. If there’s more to the question, “talk to your pastor” is the correct advice. 😉
 
I am sorry, but I do not understand your answer. If my “friends are already married to other people” , then I would have no reason to ask this question. The Catholic church would have said that it is ok.

Again, my apologies, I thought that I was careful to just ask a simple question. If there were other relevant conditions, I would have stated them. I should have stated the specific reason for the physical impossibility.

Thank you for the reply !
 
The question is whether or not the party (actually both, but in this case, the one being discussed) is able to perform the marital act. It is not about whether or not said act might (or might not) result in children. It is about whether or not the act is possible. And note that this is just the start—there might be followups.

In other words, in a family-friendly way, without describing too many details, what do you mean when you wrote “cannot have children ever. It is physically impossible and cannot be fixed.”

That could mean a few different things. The answer to your question depends entirely on what you mean.
 
littlebird said:
I am sorry, but I do not understand your answer. If my “friends are already married to other people” , then I would have no reason to ask this question. The Catholic church would have said that it is ok.

Again, my apologies, I thought that I was careful to just ask a simple question. If there were other relevant conditions, I would have stated them.
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I know. I’m just pointing out (using hyperbole), that there are other conditions. 😉
I should have stated the specific reason for the physical impossibility.
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No worries… if it’s a question of infertility – rather than of impotence – most of us here understand what you’re asking. 😉

Still, the complete answer is “if they’re worried, ask them to go talk to their pastor”. He’ll be able to address not only this issue, but every salient issue.
 
Gorgias said:
:roll_eyes:

How much more simple does it need to get? If the OP is asking about ‘infertility’, §3 answers the question completely. If there’s more to the question, “talk to your pastor” is the correct advice. 😉
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No. You can direct the rolling eyes at yourself.

For what is hopefully the last time, paragraphs 1 and 3 address different (but related) questions.

So far, no one knows whether or not par. 1 applies.
 
Gorgias said:
No worries… if it’s a question of infertility – rather than of impotence – most of us here understand what you’re asking. 😉

Still, the complete answer is “if they’re worried, ask them to go talk to their pastor”. He’ll be able to address not only this issue, but every salient issue.
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No. You do not understand it.

You are making assumptions.

You obviously do not know what the canons say. Why do you think you are in a position to be answering questions and think you know more about it than someone who actually DOES know what the canons say?
 
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