Second cousin marriage

[Hans_W]

PERHAPS lived in an incestuous relationship? Try absolutely yes, lived in an incestuous relationship. There is no way to marry your first cousin – church approved or not – and not have it be incest by any regular definition of the term.

QuasiCatholic, I really do not care about your opinion on my parent’s marriage, but I suggest being a bit more careful when voicing your personal views on this forum.

 

[Vico]

That’s interesting. According to your calculator, should my parents as first cousins (my grandmothers were sisters) have encountered a “canonical impediment”?

Just curious, because I wouldn’t be alive.

The current canon law is from 1983. **A: **The Catholic Church’s current laws permit a marriage between second cousins, that is, between a man and woman who have a common great-grandparent.

               The canonical term for family relationships   too close to permit a marriage   is called *consanguinity*. This is   subdivided into *direct* (grandfather-son-granddaughter)   and *collateral* (uncle-niece-great-niece). Marriages within the   direct line are always invalid. Those in   the fourth degree of the collateral line   are invalid (Canon 1091), but a local   bishop can give a dispensation for the   marriage of first cousins (Canon 1078).  

               Under the 1917 Code of Canon Law,     the marriage of second cousins was not     permitted. Under the 1983 Code of     Canon Law, it is. Second cousins are     related in the sixth degree of the collateral     line, as the *New Commentary on     the Code of Canon Law* (Paulist Press,     2000) explains. The new Code prohibits     marriage up to and including     the fourth degree.    
               These are the Catholic Church’s       requirements. Civil law can make other       provisions. I am not aware of any U.S.       state that prohibits the marriage of second       cousins.

americancatholic.org/Messenger/May2007/Wiseman.asp

 

[QuasiCatholic]

QuasiCatholic, I really do not care about your opinion on my parent’s marriage, but I suggest being a bit more careful when voicing your personal views on this forum.

It’s not an opinion, it’s a definition. Incest is sex between close relatives. First cousins are close relatives. They share more than 12 percent of the same DNA. Marrying a cousin may be more or less common (or more or less legal) in different parts of the world, but it still meets the definition of incest regardless.

From a sin standpoint I assume that if you get a dispensation to marry you get a pass. But that still doesn’t change the definition of the word.

 

[Jeff415]

It’s not an opinion, it’s a definition. Incest is sex between close relatives. First cousins are close relatives. They share more than 12 percent of the same DNA. Marrying a cousin may be more or less common (or more or less legal) in different parts of the world, but it still meets the definition of incest regardless.

From a sin standpoint I assume that if you get a dispensation to marry you get a pass. But that still doesn’t change the definition of the word.

Actually you share more than 97% of the same DNA will pretty much every other human. You’re talking about genes, which make up only about 3% of our DNA. Just FYI