Marriage, tonsured?

[Kmon23]

2 Catholics get married in the catholic church.
And one of them gets tonsured a monk.
What happens to the marriage? Is the marriage contract null from the tonsuring?

Theoretical question.

 

[Graceful_Lamb]

Religious are not allowed to marry. I do not think that once someone becomes religious that they can remain married. This is just my opinion. I am not a canon lawyer, but I know there is at least one that is a member on this forum.

 

[AdamP88]

A person who is in religious vows cannot marry.
A person who is married validly cannot join a religious order.

If a religious in vows got married it would be null. Yes.

 

[Kmon23]

A person who is in religious vows cannot marry.
A person who is married validly cannot join a religious order.

If a religious in vows got married it would be null. Yes.

I meant the reverse.
Someone is married, but then enters the religious life.
I’ve heard stories like these many times in the early church, so was wondering in such cases, does the tonsuring affect the marriage.

 

[SyroMalankara]

It’s potentially possible. Most monasteries would not accept a married person, however. If in the odd case one did, the spouse would have to agree. Normally, the person would be advised to remain with the spouse until the natural end of one of them.

 

[AdamP88]

It’s potentially possible. Most monasteries would not accept a married person, however. If in the odd case one did, the spouse would have to agree. Normally, the person would be advised to remain with the spouse until the natural end of one of them.

Yes. This. It’s the same if a man wants to become a Married Deacon. His spouse must agree too.

It happens, but very rarely I imagine. If marriage is entered into then that is one’s primary vocation. I’d say in this day and age this is almost a non-existent practice. I’d imagine the superiors of any religious order would be reluctant to take a married man or woman.

I think as well that both spouses must desire to enter religious life after years of marriage for this to be considered.

I don’t think the marriage is dissolved for this reason though.

 

[e_c]

A marriage can be dissolved by solemn vows in a religious community, provided it is unconsummated.

 

[AXO]

It’s potentially possible. Most monasteries would not accept a married person, however. If in the odd case one did, the spouse would have to agree. Normally, the person would be advised to remain with the spouse until the natural end of one of them.

No, canon law doesn’t allow it. Spouses cannot be validly admitted to the novitiate (cf. c. 643 §1.2 CIC, c. 450.6 CCEO).

 

[babochka]

I know of one couple who entered into religious life in their later years, after their children were raised. They both did so, with mutual consent and the blessing of their 12 children. They founded a contemplative community and each took vows. They did not live as husband and wife for the remainder of their lives.

 

[Vico]

I know of one couple who entered into religious life in their later years, after their children were raised. They both did so, with mutual consent and the blessing of their 12 children. They founded a contemplative community and each took vows. They did not live as husband and wife for the remainder of their lives.

It is a possibility in eastern Catholic canon law CCEO
864.1 If either of the spouses causes serious danger to the other spouse or to the children, or renders common life too hard, that spouse gives the other a legitimate cause for separating in virtue of a decree of the local hierarch, or even on his or her own authority if there is danger in delay.

864.2. In the particular law of individual Churches sui iuris other reasons can be established according to the customs of the people and circumstances of the place.

864.3 In all cases, when the reason for the separation ceases, the conjugal life is to be restored, unless it is established otherwise by competent authority.

 

[AXO]

It is a possibility in eastern Catholic canon law CCEO 864.1 If either of the spouses causes serious danger to the other spouse or to the children, or renders common life too hard, that spouse gives the other a legitimate cause for separating in virtue of a decree of the local hierarch, or even on his or her own authority if there is danger in delay.

864.2. In the particular law of individual Churches sui iuris other reasons can be established according to the customs of the people and circumstances of the place.

864.3 In all cases, when the reason for the separation ceases, the conjugal life is to be restored, unless it is established otherwise by competent authority.

I don’t see how this is related to the thread. We’re talking about spouses validly married, either there is a separation or not. Therefore, they cannot enter the monastic life. I guess babochka must have missed some details in his example.

 

[Gorgias]

And one of them gets tonsured a monk.

Umm… maybe I’m quibbling, but…

Do consecrated religious get ‘tonsured’?

As I recall, ‘tonsure’ used to be the first order, on the path to holy orders. In other words, tonsure meant “entry into the clerical state.” Nowadays, that minor order no longer exists, and entry into the clerical state happens at ordination into the order of deacon.

So, unless Kmon meant something else, but simply used the word ‘tonsure’, then the answer is ‘no, the marriage isn’t nullified’ – it is possible to enter the clerical state while married. (As an example, married men can validly enter the permanent diaconate.)

 

[Vico]

I don’t see how this is related to the thread. We’re talking about spouses validly married, either there is a separation or not. Therefore, they cannot enter the monastic life. I guess babochka must have missed some details in his example.

She was talking of religious life, with vows. In the book** Inter-Ecclesial Relations Between Eastern and Latin Catholics: A Canonical-Pastoral Handbook** by Dimitri Salachas & Krzysztof Nitkiewicz, English Edition, 2008, CLSA, p.68, under the heading “Separation of Spouses for Consecrated Life” is:

The eastern code adds that the Church* sui iuris* can determine other reasons for separation in keeping with the customs of the people and circumstances of the place (CCEO c. 862.2). In the Christian East, since ancient times, the choice of consecrated life by the married person with the consent of the spouse was considered a legitimate cause for separation. Christian history offers several cases of married persons who, by common agreement, interrupted their cohabitation without breaking the marital bond in order to enter monastic life. A recorded example from the tenth century is Saint Nilus of Rossano, Italy, the spiritual founder of the Exarchic Monastery of Grottaferrata near Rome.

Differing from the Eastern directives, teh Latin code does not state any other reasons for separation while the bond endures, but, in a particular case, one should not discount the possibility of obtaining a special indult from the Roman Pontiff for just such a purpose.