When this happens to a husband or a wife, they should work with their spouse to resolve the issue. Is it a physical issue? Mental issue? Emotional issue? Due to age/illness? Etc.
He may be called to offer up his desires if his wife is no longer able to have intercourse due to age/infirmity or some other issue. A wife may be called to do the same.
Why not?
We all have free will. “Bound” to fail? No. May choose to fail.
This is not accurate. Refusing the marital debt can be grave matter, but it does not create grounds for nullity unless this intention was present from the beginning, before the marriage occurred. Refusal to consummate the marriage can be grounds for dissolution of the bond by the Pope. It might also result in a nullity case if there were psychological issues or a case of impotence.
^This
Yes. Better or Worse… Sorry, but you got worse, you don’t get out of it just because the worst is worse than you thought. (more important is the WHY)
LOL - I’m still here - and celibate since 1995. My husband had prostate cancer. For a while I thought I’d rather not have him and have sex, now I’d rather have him and do without the sex.
It is one thing if a spouse can no longer have sex. Yes, it’s hard, but the bond you have is still there.
This quote is worrisome. We human beings have needs, among which are sexual needs. We have been programmed to need food, sleep and sex. Who can say that someone else has to suppress the search for satisfaction of any of our human needs? You can’t say: “you don’t need to sleep” because the body will do what it has to do to survive… In the case of sex, the personal need for intimacy serves the species when it produces the next generation…so humanity survives.
We NEED food. We NEED sleep. We may DESIRE / WANT / CRAVE sex. I hope the essential difference is clear.
The OP has not given us enough information for us to know what is going on, whether the wife is simply refusing (and even then, there may be legitimate reasons on her part) or whether she is ill and can’t.
Correct. Without context, I suggest there is very little to be said in answer to the OP. if the OP wishes to solicit helpful responses, relevant to the situation, I assume they will provide the context.The OP has not given us enough information for us to know what is going on, whether the wife is simply refusing (and even then, there may be legitimate reasons on her part) or whether she is ill and can’t.
Let’s not all get into an argument about this before we even know the whole story.
Depends on why its sexless, as others have said - context here is everything. Assuming its an act of will, not a physical restriction on the part of a spouse, first responsibility would be to resolve the issue with ones spouse. If after doing everything possible it becomes apparent that the spouse really wants to live as brother and sister well, then it becomes a matter of whether you have children and taking care of them.
I think steps of retaliation or response (“I would leave”) need to be put on hold until the cause and context is identified. The OP has shared nothing of this.
This caught my eye “I have no way out of this marriage since I can’t support myself.” That could be a clue. Has she supported you all or most of your marriage? Why can you not support yourself? We have not heard your wife’s “take” on things but I know if my hubby could not support himself let alone me (without reasons beyond his control) my respect for him would be out the window. Perhaps she can’t see you as a man but as a boy. For anyone other than a practicing Catholic, closing the marriage bed is justifiable.