Anonymous Albert wrote: |
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Hi, guys —
I have a question concerning the Sacrament
of Marriage and Canon Law 1101, section 2, which states that for a marriage to be valid, both parties
must be open to procreation.
- Does this mean that if one of the persons,
a non-Catholic, had been sterilized in
the past, and then decided to marry years
later, still unrepentant of the prior sin, the marriage contracted is not valid?
In this day and age, with vasectomies being
so routine, this must be a common problem.
Thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Albert
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| { If a non-Catholic, had been previously sterilized and then married years
later, still unrepentant, is the marriage still invalid? } |
Mike
replied:
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Hi Albert,
My Catholic friends can correct me
if I'm wrong, but I think a lot of
it depends on what the
non-Catholic was aware of at the
time of sterilization. If (he/she)
knew that it was sinful and entered
the marriage without the intent of
having children then the marriage would
not be consummated. I would
like to know the reasons for (him/her)
deciding to get sterilized.
- Was it peer pressure?
- Force by another person?
Even if (he/she) didn't know that
the sterilization was wrong, yet
got married, I would say the marriage
was not consummated.
A Christian man and woman who enter
into a marriage must both be open
to procreation. If they are not,
a marriage would not have taken place.
Now if one of the parties was not
a Christian,
I don't know.
Certainly if she was a Catholic Christian, it
would be an impediment to a valid
marriage, and one that would probably
be declared null and void.
I'd be interested in what Fr. Francis
thinks on this issue if he has time.
Mike
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Fr. Francis replied:
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Dear Albert,
Indeed sterilization before marriage
is an impediment to a Sacramental
Marriage. There are a number of "impediments" that
are standard in the pre-nuptial
interrogatory (which is the first
dialogue the couple has with
the priest, deacon or other pastoral
minister trained in this.)
If any of these impediments are discovered,
any and all plans of
marriage are on hold until, and if,
a dispensation is given by the bishop through
the appropriate channels.
Father Francis
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Albert
replied:
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Hi, Mike —
Thanks for your answers.
- Could I ask you a follow up?
The guy who had the vasectomy before
marriage, (it was not forced upon
him in any way); he got prostate cancer
a few years after the wedding. He
underwent extensive radiation therapy,
which, renders the man sterile. Now,
he would be sterile anyway.
- If he and his wife now "re-married",
with this new medical condition
in mind, would the marriage then
be valid?
Thank you!
Albert
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Edward J. Furton, Ethicist from the National
Catholic Bioethics Center replied:
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Mike:
I believe that this question is an unanswerable
hypothetical. Catholics
do not remarry.
Edward J. Furton, M.A., Ph.D.
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Fr. Francis replied:
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Dear Albert,
A known state of being sterile, or
even impotent, is an impediment to
enter into Holy Matrimony, and it
must be addressed before marriage
by way of a dispensation by the bishop.
Father Francis
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