If A Person Can Not Have Children

[Starwynd]

If a man is completely impotent through an injury should he get married?

If a woman cannot have children through infertility or through some kind of injury, should she get married?

 

[Caesar517]

An impotent man cannot marry because the marriage cannot be consummated. An infertile woman can get married and adopt because the marital act can still be completed.

 

[1ke]

If a man is completely impotent through an injury should he get married? If a woman cannot have children through infertility or through some kind of injury, should she get married?

Let’s be clear, because **impotence **and **infertility **are not the same thing.

A man or woman who is impotent– have a permanent inability to complete the marital act-- cannot marry. It is an impediment to contracting a valid marriage.

A man or woman who is **infertile **-- unable to conceive-- can contract marriage. If the infertility is known, he or she must disclose this fact to their intended.

 

[pigtown]

Gee, that’s a shame if a person who is impotent cannot get married. Sounds like even more of a punishment. Guess that means that an elderly person with a problem has to live out his or her remaining days alone.

 

[theistgal]

Gee, that’s a shame if a person who is impotent cannot get married. Sounds like even more of a punishment. Guess that means that an elderly person with a problem has to live out his or her remaining days alone.

Why would an impotent man need to get married in order to avoid living alone? I would think, if there was no chance of any sexual activity, there would be no prohibition against him inviting someone - male or female - to live with him as a companion. Lots of elderly people do that.

 

[Lee_M]

An impotent man cannot marry because the marriage cannot be consummated. An infertile woman can get married and adopt because the marital act can still be completed.

I understand that the Canon Law states this, but it contradicts Mary’s perpetual virginity when Joseph was her husband. Since the marriage was not consummated, was there never a marriage?

 

[joandarc2008]

I would think consummation has more to do with man’s law and the sacrament itself has to do with God’s law. However, my dh and I were talking about this and I don’t ever remember reading in the Bible that Joseph and Mary were married just that they were betrothed. Can someone point out where this happenned? Thanks,

God bless,

 

[bilop]

I understand that the Canon Law states this, but it contradicts Mary’s perpetual virginity when Joseph was her husband. Since the marriage was not consummated, was there never a marriage?

They were able to consumate it, they just chose not to.

An unconsumated marriage is valid, but not indissoluable, in the Church. Some people chose to live in celebate (Josephite)marriages for a time, or permanently. St. Theres of Lisieux parents were celebate for a while at the beginning of their marriage, but later consumated it, and had several children, on advice of their priest. Smart priest

I believ the reasoning is that a Josephite (celebate) marriage is very difficult, and very, very few are called to it, so a couple must be capable of consumating the marriage, even if they don’t intend to initially.

God Bless

 

[Seatuck]

Mary and Joseph were not baptized christians. They were Jews married under the old covenant law. As far as we know they were both capable of consummating but chose not too. Tradition (little t I think ) tells us that Mary was a temple virgin and that Joseph already had children by a first wife.

 

[yellowbicycle]

So, if a man was in a car accident and it rendered him unable to complete the marital act, he can’t get married? is that true? What if he was already married? Or engaged? They can adopt, can’t they?

 

[thistle]

So, if a man was in a car accident and it rendered him unable to complete the marital act, he can’t get married? is that true? What if he was already married? Or engaged? They can adopt, can’t they?

Known permanent untreatable impotence prior to marriage is a bar to getting married in the Catholic Church. If such impotence occurs only after a marriage has taken place then nothing. The couple can adopt if they wish or remain childless.

 

[thistle]

So, if a man was in a car accident and it rendered him unable to complete the marital act, he can’t get married? is that true? What if he was already married? Or engaged? They can adopt, can’t they?

Known permanent untreatable impotence prior to marriage is a bar to getting married in the Catholic Church.
If such impotence occurs only after a marriage has taken place then nothing. The couple can adopt if they wish or remain childless. They still remain married.

 

[1ke]

So, if a man was in a car accident and it rendered him unable to complete the marital act, he can’t get married? is that true?

Yes. That is correct.

What if he was already married?

He remains married. He was able to complete the marital act at the time of the marriage. The marriage is valid.

Or engaged?

He may not marry.

They can adopt, can’t they?

That is not the issue.

 

[42Seeker]

Known permanent untreatable impotence prior to marriage is a bar to getting married in the Catholic Church.
If such impotence occurs only after a marriage has taken place then nothing. The couple can adopt if they wish or remain childless. They still remain married.

Does post-menopausal also count? This sounds like a particularly harsh doctrine if it suggests that everyone who is either impotent or post-menopausal is doomed to a solitary life.

 

[babygirl6152]

A similar question was asked on ewtn a while back. I believe I remember the answer"/ may not be the exact wording/

If one has all the 'body parts" with today’s medical achievements there is always hope- If the couple are OPEN to giving life/bringing forth children in the marriage- even if miraculously/ the marriage would be allowed.

 

[pathia]

A similar question was asked on ewtn a while back. I believe I remember the answer"/ may not be the exact wording/

If one has all the 'body parts" with today’s medical achievements there is always hope- If the couple are OPEN to giving life/bringing forth children in the marriage- even if miraculously/ the marriage would be allowed.

Some women are born with out a uterus though. Are they allowed to be married?

 

[Seatuck]

Some women are born with out a uterus though. Are they allowed to be married?

A woman would need to have a vagina. The uterus is related to infertility which is not an impediment. The vagina is related to the impotence. There must be hope that the couple is able to engage in the marital act. On extremely rare occaisions couples are permitted to marry who will engage in the marital act. They still must be able to perform it.

 

[1ke]

Does post-menopausal also count? This sounds like a particularly harsh doctrine if it suggests that everyone who is either impotent or post-menopausal is doomed to a solitary life.

Please see my post above where I stated:

Let’s be clear, because **impotence **and **infertility **are not the same thing.

A man or woman who is impotent– have a permanent inability to complete the marital act-- cannot marry. It is an impediment to contracting a valid marriage.

A man or woman who is **infertile **-- unable to conceive-- can contract marriage. If the infertility is known, he or she must disclose this fact to their intended.

A post-menopausal woman is infertile, not impotent.

 

[pigtown]

Why would an impotent man need to get married in order to avoid living alone? I would think, if there was no chance of any sexual activity, there would be no prohibition against him inviting someone - male or female - to live with him as a companion. Lots of elderly people do that.

Yes, but elderly people also need the closeness of marriage. My Grandmother was in her 60’s when she married her last husband (she had been widowed twice) who was then in his 70’s. They had known each other for many, many years and wanted to spend their last years together. They had earned that right. And, they were married in a Catholic Church.

 

[joandarc2008]

Yes, but elderly people also need the closeness of marriage. My Grandmother was in her 60’s when she married her last husband (she had been widowed twice) who was then in his 70’s. They had known each other for many, many years and wanted to spend their last years together. They had earned that right. And, they were married in a Catholic Church.

And I hate to tell you this about your grandparents…

But as sacramentally married consenting adults - they probably had sex.

Oh yeah, here is the flip side of it - if you are living exactly as you are supposed to be and being celibate outside of marriage you have no way of knowing you are impotent until you get to marriage unless you had some gross injury - like something is missing but I don’t want to be vulgar so please don’t delve into that because that is not my point.