Marriage is between one man and one woman. Full stop. Period.

 

Syro-Malabar Catholic Wedding, India

[Wikipedia]

The First Reading in today's Mass was St Paul's magnificent teaching on marriage, Ephesians 5:21-33. Here is the translation from the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition.

 

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. As the church is subject to Christ, so let wives also be subject in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Even so husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church; however, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

St Paul quotes Genesis 2: 24, Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. Jesus quotes these same words in Matthew 19:5 and in Mark 10:7-8.

This is against the background of the first account of creation in Genesis 1, Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness . . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply . . . (Genesis 1: 26-28).

Any denial of this is an affront to God the Creator, indeed to nature itself. Marriage is between one man and one woman, as the Church has always taught. Every culture since the beginning of time has seen marriage as being between man and woman, though some allow polygamy (a husband with more than one wife) and polyandry (a wife with more than one husband). It is only in our time that some have re-defined marriage as also being between two persons of the same sex, using the lie of 'equality' to get gullible people on their side. This is not marriage as it has always been understood. It is an absurdity.

St Paul sees marriage as reflecting the relationship between Jesus Christ the Bridegroom and the Church his Bride. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her . . . This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church. 'Marriage' between two persons of the same sex is a parody on this.

. Catholic Wedding, Kyoto, Japan

[Wikipedia]

Once again people are confused about what the Church teaches, or doesn't teach about marriage and about chastity. The Church has always taught that sexual relations may take place only within marriage. In any other situation the Church has always taught that this is objectively gravely sinful. This applies to everyone, whatever their sexual orientation may be. The virtue of chastity applies to both unmarried and married people.

Married people are called upon to practice chastity when they are apart, when one is sick, when practicing natural family planning, for example.

The Church does not turn away anyone who sins against chastity. The sacrament of confession is a gift given by God to us to ask for and received his forgiveness for any sin.

The Church does not teach through press conferences or documentaries, though these may be occasions for highlighting some teaching or other. 

However, when they cause confusion, as they have done in recent years, there is a problem. When a papal encyclical, a formal way of teaching, such as Amoris laetitia causes widespread confusion there is a much bigger problem, especially when cardinals, the Pope's closest advisers, who ask for clarification cannot even get an audience with the Pope. We have the situation now where bishops in some countries, eg, Germany condone what is considered by bishops in other countries, eg, Poland, as adultery.

Fr Gerald E. Murray is a canon lawyer and a parish priest in the Archdiocese of New York. He frequently appears on EWTN.  The Catholic Thing recently published an article by him, Pope Francis Oversteps the Papal Office, that expresses my thoughts.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a statement on the latest confusion trying to answer the question Where is the Pope coming from? The statement refers to the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11): He refused to judge the woman who had been caught in adultery without saying that what she did was right. He just did not think that condemning people or judging them was the right thing to do in order to work for their conversion. [My emphasis]. 

The words I emphasised are not incorrect but they are not fully accurate either. These are the words of Jesus: Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again. Jesus did more than not saying to the woman that what she did was wrong. He told her clearly, without condemning her, that she had sinned. Jesus had profound respect for her and profound compassion. He was being truly pastoral.

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I have used the video above more than once on this blog. The song For Me and My Gal, which dates back to 1917 - the video is from a 1942 movie - speaks more clearly to me about marriage than some of what has been coming out from Church leaders in recent years. Marriage is between one man and one woman - in most cases young and open to welcoming children. A wedding is a community celebration involving community preparation and, in Western society at least in the past, usually took place in a church. For Catholics that means the Sacrament of Matrimony where Jesus himself is the foundation of the spousal relationship, a sacrament that the bride and groom confer on one another. (Many wrongly think it is the priest who does that. He is a witness who blesses the couple on behalf of the Church in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).