The Catholic Church believes and teaches that marriage is a covenant by which a man and a woman fully, consciously, and freely choose to establish between themselves a permanent, exclusive, mutual partnership of the whole of life.  This belief applies to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  The Church teaches that marriage, by its nature, is ordered to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children.  Because it is ordered to the good of the spouses, the development of interpersonal intimacy, not simply biological intimacy, is viewed as essential to the marital relationship. There must be a giving and accepting on the part of each toward the other.  This involves a twofold action: Each of the spouses makes an unqualified gift of self to the other and, in turn, makes an unqualified acceptance of the other.  For the life of the marriage to grow and continue, the two must be faithful to one another and work unceasingly to build a union that will endure. Because marriage is also ordered to the procreation and education of children, the couple must be totally open to having children.  To exclude or unduly limit children is contrary to this teaching.

For a much more detailed understanding of the Church’s teaching on marriage, you are encouraged to refer to the Second Vatican Council Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (The Church in the Modern World), paragraphs 47-52, as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

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Judicial Vicar

V. Rev. Henry Carmona, JV, JCL

Director

Mr. Mark L. Raper, JCL, MCL

Case Manager

Ms. Colleen Cunningham

Case Manager

Deacon Michael Servatius

Phone:   (208) 344-1344     Fax:  (208) 344-1772