Friday, March 28, 2014

Friday of the Third Week of Lent
March 28, 2014

Question of the Day:

Are there any impediments to the celebration of marriage in the Church?

An impediment can be defined simply as an obstacle (something standing in the way of) preventing the valid or lawful celebration of marriage in the Church. The word used in canon law for such impediments is "diriment" and canon 1073 defines such in the following way:

"A diriment impediment renders a person incapable of validly contracting marriage."

Impediments to marriage can be found in canons 1083 to 1094. Without going into any long explanation of each, I will simply list them. They are:

1. Age
2..Impotence
3. Previous Bond of Marriage
4. Disparity of Worship (marriage to non-baptised person)
5. Sacred Orders (bishop, priest, deacon)
6. Public Perpetual Vow of Chastity
7. Abduction (kidnapping for the purpose of marriage)
8. Crime (e.g., killing of a spouse to free oneself for marriage to another person)
9. Consanguinity (relationship by blood)
10.Affinity (relationship by marriage)
11.Public propriety ( relationship arising from a stable union other than marriage)
12.Adoption
 

Impediments which are of ecclesiastical law can usually be dispensed from for good reason by petitioning the proper authority. However, some impediments are reserved only to the Holy See (eg., sacred orders, public perpetual vow of chastity, crime). Impediments arising from the natural law (eg., impotence) cannot be granted.

For more detailed information on this matter, please contact me or speak with your parish priest.
 

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