Can Catholics get married if they cannot have children?

[Gorgias]

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?

Obviously.

If the OP is asking about infertility, then §3 – as quoted – answers that simple question. If there are additional considerations, then the advice “talk to your pastor” is the appropriate response.

Your desire to make this about §1 is quaint.

 

[FrDavid96]

Obviously.

If the OP is asking about infertility, then §3 – as quoted – answers that simple question. If there are additional considerations, then the advice “talk to your pastor” is the appropriate response.

Your desire to make this about §1 is quaint.

No. Obviously, you have no idea what the canons say, but you don’t let that stop you from giving someone an answer without even knowing the question.

You do not understand what you’re writing about. You keep proving that over and over again.

If you don’t know what the question is about, you certainly don’t know the answer.

 

[Gorgias]

You do not understand what you’re writing about. You keep proving that over and over again.

Two questions:

Is a question about infertility completely answered by §3?

Is a question about ability to marry more properly answered in the forum of an individual conversation with one’s pastor?

If the answer to either is not “yes”, then I’ll understand your posts. And pray for you as I do.

 

[FrDavid96]

FrDavid96:

You do not understand what you’re writing about. You keep proving that over and over again.

Two questions:

Is a question about infertility completely answered by §3?

Is a question about ability to marry more properly answered in the forum of an individual conversation with one’s pastor?

If the answer to either is not “yes”, then I’ll understand your posts. And pray for you as I do.

The OPs question is NOT answered only by 3.

That is what you do not understand not matter how many times I keep trying to tell you that.

There is no way to answer the OPs question based on what has been posted here so far.

You keep making the assumption that only par. 3 applies. That is unknowable at this point.

Yet, the fact that it’s unknown doesn’t stop you from trying to answer, for some inexplicable reason.

 

[Gorgias]

The OPs question is NOT answered only by 3.

That is what you do not understand not matter how many times I keep trying to tell you that.

There is no way to answer the OPs question based on what has been posted here so far.

Yet, the fact that it’s unknown doesn’t stop you from trying to answer, for some inexplicable reason.

Hence the answer “talk to your pastor”.

Have a lovely day, Fr David.

 

[Joe_5859]

The point Fr. David is making is that the OP has not specified that the situation is about sterility. The way the OP is phrased, it could mean sterility, but it could also refer to some sort of impotence.

Phemie posted the right portion of Canon Law, but simply assumed the OP was talking about sterility (which is what I did at first read, too). However, it’s not yet clear that is what is at play here.

I don’t think the OP needs to spell out all the details. The counsel for the couple to talk to a priest is a good one. It’s probably better sorted out in person. But, ultimately, Fr. David is right that we don’t have enough information at present to tell the OP which paragraph of the canon applies in this case.

 

[FrDavid96]

Is a question about infertility completely answered by §3?

NO. NO. NO. It is not.

How many times do I have to say it? Really, how many times?

Infertility can be caused by 2 things (generally speaking). It can be caused by sterility (addressed in 3).

It can also be caused by some external factor, such as: if the male was in a car accident and a certain body part (family friendly please) is no longer present, then #1 would apply.

That is just one example.

As I keep trying to tell you, at this point, no one knows the answer.

 

[Gorgias]

if the male was in a car accident and a certain body part (family friendly please) is no longer present, then #1 would apply.

Yes. That’s impotence, not infertility. He might still have plenty of swimmers…

 

[JoshuaIsLord]

A significant other cannot have children ever.
It is physically impossible and cannot be fixed.

That is the significant read.

I should have stated the specific reason for the physical impossibility.

Yes that would remove any doubt as to the nature of the question.

When it was answered, it was answered upon assumptions being made.

 

[JoshuaIsLord]

Would the Church deny 2 persons paralyzed from the waist down to get married?

OR

Would the Church deny a normal person to marry a person paralyzed from the waist down?

 

[1ke]

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.

It will depend on what you mean by “physically impossible”. In order to tell you whether or not the person can be married in the Church, it would have to be clear whether the person cannot have intercourse (impotent) and thus not have children, or just that they are sterile (such as through a hysterectomy or sterility from chemo/radiation or something like that.)

Your remark about it being physically impossible to have children is too vague-- is it physically impossible because they are sterile or physically impossible because they can’t have sex. That is the distinction.

As always, the couple should take their questions to their pastor. The pastor does a premarital investigation to determine freedom to marry.

On a forum such as this, you can only get generalities. And with marriage, the details matter.

 

[1ke]

Would the Church deny 2 persons paralyzed from the waist down to get married?

OR

Would the Church deny a normal person to marry a person paralyzed from the waist down?

There are currently at least 3 other threads running on this topic. But, if the couple cannot have sexual intercourse, then they cannot be married.

In your example, it is not at all clear that the couple cannot have intercourse. Firstly, whether or not a man can have an erection or ejaculate will depend on specifics of the spinal cord injury. Additionally, modern medicine has many aids for those in this situation to achieve intercourse.

For women, the same thing-- there are different injuries or illnesses (such as MS) that can impact the sexual function but there are also many ways they can be overcome.

Permanent antecedent impotence (the inability to have sexual intercourse), whether absolute or relative, is an impediment to valid marriage.

No one can make blanket statements regarding any two people, paralyzed or not, because it will depend on the specifics of their injury, what their doctor says, and whether they can have intercourse.

Hypotheticals can take us no father than: MAYBE. MAYBE NOT.

 

[Kei]

Assuming they can have sex and are merely infertile, yes. If they or one party is impotent, then no.

 

[FrDavid96]

Would the Church deny 2 persons paralyzed from the waist down to get married?

OR

Would the Church deny a normal person to marry a person paralyzed from the waist down?

Neither.

The Church does not “deny” anyone who is eligible the ability to receive a Sacrament. That’s not how things work.

Instead, because procreation (as a possibility) is a necessary end of marriage, one who is entirely unable of performing the marital act is, by divine law itself, not eligible to enter into the marriage contract.

To put that another way, the Church does not perform a ceremony for an attempt at marriage if the proposed marriage cannot ever be consummated.

 

[PHXsunsAZ]

I’m getting my marriage convalidated this month. My wife is unable to have children because of a hysterectomy for medical reasons. After going through the marriage prep classes and engaged encounter I can see why people ask this question. About half of the topics have been centered around family and procreating. These classes have been kind of uncomfortable to sit through, especially for my wife who’s pretty emotional about her infertility. It kinda makes you start to second guess whether you should even receive this sacrament at times.

 

[littlebird]

Hello,

Could you please show a reference from canon law or the catechism that supports your statement >

“Instead, because procreation (as a possibility) is a necessary end of marriage, one who is entirely unable of performing the marital act is, by divine law itself, not eligible to enter into the marriage contract.”

Thank you !

 

[JoshuaIsLord]

Instead, because procreation (as a possibility) is a necessary end of marriage, one who is entirely unable of performing the marital act is, by divine law itself, not eligible to enter into the marriage contract.

To put that another way, the Church does not perform a ceremony for an attempt at marriage if the proposed marriage cannot ever be consummated.

There is a Catholic Couple I know of that are both Paralyzed from the waist down. They met at the age beyond 40s. Prior to this they had given up on finding a mate. They found each other when no other would have them. They love each other with all their heart and soul.

Yet the Church refuses to Marry them. So they married outside the Church. After being married, the went for Communion at the very next Mass. The Priest attempted to refuse Communion, They both raised a stink right there and then. Most of the Congregation came to their defense. The Priest reluctantly gave them Communion as it was not his place to Pass Judgment on the state of their Mortal Soul.

After this Mass was over, people brought their concerns to the Pastoral Council. The general consensus from the people was to stop tithing and missions. Pastoral Council brought this before the Priest. Since then, the Priest has not denied Communion, but still will not Bless the Marriage.

 

[Joe_5859]

CCC 1652 quotes the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes:

By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory.

As the canon quoted above indicates, if it is impossible to engage in the conjugal act (i.e. impotence), the person cannot get married.

 

[FrDavid96]

Could you please show a reference from canon law or the catechism that supports your statement

Fer Pete’s Sake! How many times do I have to type it out?

How many times?

Can. 1084 §1

This is now the 8th time that I have posted “Canon 1084 §1” in this thread.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Disabled people are not normal?