Minimum age required for valid marriage

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AlNg

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I understand that according to Can. 1083 sec.1 that a young woman must be at least 15 years old (completed her fourteenth year of age) before she can validly marry in the Catholic Church and possibly higher if the civil law requires a higher age. However, I noticed that in 1493, the Pope had his daughter marry at age thirteen. Why was the daughter of the Pope allowed to marry at such a young age?
 
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The old 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia, in its article on “Canonical Age,” gives a younger age, “The marriageable age is fourteen full years in males and twelve full years in females, under penalty of nullity (unless natural puberty supplies the want of years).” (source)
 
Todd_Easton said:
twelve full years in females
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Actually, a matrimonial engagement was drawn up between his ten year old daughter and Don Cherubino Joan de Centelles on February 26, 1491. However Rodrigo was not Pope until 1492. And the earlier engagement of his daughter was annulled so that she got married at age 13 in 1493.
Is it OK today for Catholic parents to set up matrimonial arrangements for their 10 year old daughters?
 
AlNg said:
Actually, a matrimonial engagement was drawn up between his ten year old daughter and Don Cherubino Joan de Centelles on February 26, 1491
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The same article in the old 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia says, " Betrothals [ sponsalia ] require seven full years in the contracting parties.
 
A couple things to consider:

1: The law was different in 1493 than in 1983.

2: Even if the law had been the same, the Pope can grant certainly dispensations from the law.
 
Not only from a canon law standpoint, but also from a cultural standpoint, betrothing your 7-year-old daughter and then marrying her off at age 12 was normal societal behavior in 1493. Girls were married off at puberty, and the average life expectancy was about 30.

Obviously it’s not done today. People live longer, and 12-year-olds are considered children under not only the canon law but also under most civil laws.
 
I would also add a fifteen year old ‘young woman’ is considered a child in this day and age .
 
Generally yes, a 15-year-old is considered underage, but there are some jurisdictions including in the USA where a 15-year-old can get civilly married with parental and judicial consent.

I believe the Vatican until recently had a minimum marriage age for girls of 14 years old but the Pope just raised it to 16.

www.kxxv.com

Pope raises minimum age for marriage in Catholic law from 14 to 16

The Vatican says Pope Francis plans to raise the minimum age for girls to marry in the Roman Catholic church from 14 to 16.
www.kxxv.com www.kxxv.com
 
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AlNg said:
Is it OK today for Catholic parents to set up matrimonial arrangements for their 10 year old daughters?
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I believe it is, but at the time of marriage, both the bride and groom have to give their full assent.
Arranged marriages are still a thing today.
 
AlNg said:
Is it OK today for Catholic parents to set up matrimonial arrangements for their 10 year old daughters?
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Different cultures have different customs.

It was the common practice for people of means to arrange marriage when their children were young, even infants. This is simply how things were done at the time.

There are still places in this world where arranged marriages are the practice. In those places, it is okay as long as the people involved are not coerced into the arranged marriage (and if you grew up in a culture where that is the norm, it is likely you would be not only agreeable but happy about your arranged marriage.)

Our Blessed Mother and St Joseph had an arranged marriage
 
To be honest, I wonder how a child can consent to marriage. Poor kid’s brain isn’t even developed yet.
 
The extend childhood we know is not the norm across the world and across time.
 
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