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Hi, guys —
If I have got it right, in the Old Testament, we did not have Matrimony. We have only had the Sacraments, including Marriage, since New Testament times.
The Church says that a man and woman should get married since cohabitation is the wrong use of something good. She says that the couple should get married.
- Does the natural law really tell us to get married?
- How can cohabitation be evil if (we have only had Matrimony after Jesus made it a Sacrament) or is the Church saying (that a man and woman who are both baptized should at least get a civil Marriage otherwise they go against natural law)?
From my view, a couple, where neither one is baptized, cannot get married as they have had no sacraments. Their only alternative is cohabitation. All the Old Testament people had no Baptism and could never marry.
- Does this mean they sinned?
I am confused.
- or . . . are we perhaps making a distinction between natural marriage and cohabitation?
Henrik
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Paul replied:
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Henrik,
Although Christ raised Marriage to a sacrament, marriage is a natural institution. One need not be baptized in order to have a valid marriage.
For non-Catholics, non-sacramental does not mean invalid; they may be in a valid natural marriage.
Therefore, the marriages of those in the Old Testament who married according to their legitimate customs are presumed valid, although not grace-giving, unless proven otherwise.
Paul
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