Theology

MARRIAGE AS A CONTRACT

Old Testament
1. Procreative End
2. Unitive End

New Testament
1. Unitive End
2. Procreative End

Three Goods (Benefits) of Marriage according to St. Augustine

1. Proles – children; offspring
2. Fides – love, faith, union of husband and wife
3. Sacramentum

Family Code of the Philippines

 “A special contract of permanent union between man and woman entered into in accordance with law for
the establishment of conjugal and family life. It is the foundation of the family and an inviolable institution
whose nature, consequences, and incidents are governed by law and not subject to stipulation by the
spouses”
 Marriage is a permanent union
 It can be entered only by a man and a woman

In marriage, we need another party who will act as witnesses to the agreement/contract.

Marriage should have a contract. A contract is not necessarily written in a paper. Even if there’s no written
contract, binding is still possible as long as there are witnesses.

In sacraments,
 Form – words pronounced
 Matter – actions/things used

Important Points:
1. Family affairs, always have an effect on society, therefore, both civil and ecclesial ought to regulate it.
 (regulate – there should be a binding)
2. It demands love more than just a casual relationship.
3. Must be seen in reference to God, its author. “The nature of matrimony is entirely independent of the free
will of man, so that if contracted, thereby subject to its divinely constituted purpose and its essential
properties.” (Casti Conubii)
4. “Free” consent is limited only to the question of whether to marry and whom to marry. Matrimonial
consent is such an indispensable element in the validity of marriage. It makes the marriage irrevocable,
indissoluble.
 married persons’ decisions can never alter matrimony

Obstacles, which could render persons incapable of free consent

 Those that affect a person’s capacity to decide.
 Those that block his freedom to give consent. (ex: age, religious beliefs)
 Those that prevent the external expression of his consent.

Some factors affecting a person’s capacity to make decisions

 Lack of sufficient use of reason
 Serious lack of judgmental discretion concerning the rights and duties of marriage, which are to be
mutually offered and accepted.
 Serious psychic anomaly or conditions that make persons incapable of fulfilling the essential obligations of
marriage.
 Ignorance, or lack of knowledge that marriage is permanent and, through some sexual cooperation
ordained toward procreation and education of children.
 Error, that is, wrong judgment concerning the person; fraud is perpetuated to get consent.

Obstacles that affect the exercise of a person’s freedom

 Force or coercion: the use of physical force to make someone do something against his or her will.
 Grave fear caused by someone/something outside the person, even when influence unintentionally. The
person does what the intimidator wants, not what he/she wants to remove the threat from him/her.

Marriage, centered on Love, thus, in reality, it is a Love―Covenant.

In the Old Testament tradition, God took the initiative to reach out to his people to build a relationship. He
showed fidelity in spite of the Israelites’ unfaithfulness.

This convenant is seen in Christ, between Him and the Church.

Covenant is based on friendship, a dynamic alliance, open-minded commitment.

Traditional primary ends are generation and education of children. The secondary end, which is couple’s mutual
help and remedy for concupiscence (good of the spouse and children).

END
 MARRIAGE AS A SACRAMENT

Sacrament
 Sensible sign (and not feelings)
 Instituted by Christ as a sign of His saving presence
 To give grace
 grace as a direct affiliation of God and Spirit
 grace expressed through signs

Christ raised marriage to a sacrament making it essentially different from marriage as a natural institution.
 It was consecrated and sanctified at the marriage feast in Cana
 The essential properties were reiterated by Christ
 Christ after the revelation elevated it to the dignity of sacrament when he provided marriage, now brought
back to its original status, with the graces necessary to meet its demands.

As a sensible sign, it does not speak of the basic aspects of human existence: life and love, but because it also
makes man and woman experience its deepest mystery.

Out to mirror the sacrificial and faithful love-relationship of Christ with his Church.

Two effects of marriage:

1. Indissoluble marital bond
2. Grace of the sacrament proper to married state of life.

Marriage as a celebration and a vocation

 The Wedding Ceremony
 One of the first thoughts or images that come to mind when marriage is mentioned. It takes place
during this rite
 It is a momentous event for the couple because it marks the fulfillment of their dreams for each other, it
means the final answer to their mutual longing to be one, a moment of triumph
 It could be a moment of gratitude for the woman, who longed and prayed for the right man to come
into her life.
 The ceremony is not something the couple decides to do for themselves. It is the Church, which
provides the details of the basic ritual. Otherwise, the marriage would be invalid.

Sacramental marriage is a liturgical act. It is therefore appropriate that it should be celebrated in the public
liturgy of the Church. Marriage introduces one into an ecclesial order, and creates rights and duties in the
Church between spouses toward the children. Since marriage is a state of life in Church, certainty about it is
necessary. The public character of the consent protects the “I do” once given, and helps spouses to remain
faithful to it.
Ecclesiastical Form
 I take you as my lawful husband/wife according to the rites of the Holy Mother of the Church
 I give myself to you as your lawful wide/husband
 I take you as my lawful husband/wife
 Grant us, O Lord, to be one heart and one soul from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for
poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. (A PRAYER; ACT OF GIVING CONSENT)

Essential properties of Marriage (Essences of Marriage)

1. Love/Unity – exclusivity
2. Indissolubility – love is indissoluble
3. Open to Fertility – being open (can be controlled); fertility (beyond our control)

Love seems to be definitive.

Anniversary is the day to remember the MARRIAGE VOWS.

END
 NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING METHODS

Family planning methods:

1. Natural
2. Artificial
3. Unnatural

Natural Family Planning

 There are three main types of NFP: symptom-based methods, calendar-based methods, and breastfeeding
or lactational amenorrhea method
 According to the Couple to Couple League, “the fact that some methods of NFP can be 99% effective in the
avoidance of pregnancy seems unknown to most of the general public including many health care
professionals.”
 Does not avoid pregnancy; not a contraceptive; does not involve sexual acts
 Talks about health care

Symptom-based Method/Symptothermal Method

 Rely on biological signs of fertility
 Basal body temperature
- High body temperature (no fever) = high fertility
 Fertile cervical mucus
 Symptoms

Calendar-based Method
 Estimates the likelihood of fertility based on the length of past menstrual cycles
 Determine fertility based on a record of the length of previous menstrual cycles. They include the Rhythm
Method and the Standard Days Method.
 Not advised for people who have irregular menstruation
Breastfeeding or Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
 If a woman breastfeeds her children, chances of fertility will decrease.
 Method of avoiding pregnancy based on the natural postpartum infertility that occurs when a woman is
amenorrheic and fully breastfeeds. The rules of the method help a woman identify and possibly lengthen
her infertile period. A strict version of LAM is known as ecological breastfeeding.

ARTIFICIAL FAMILY PLANNING METHODS

Family planning methods:

1. Natural
2. Artificial
3. Unnatural

 Thwarting the sperm from meeting the ovum through suppressing the ovaries from developing and
releasing the ova: pills and injectable
 Interfering the development of the ovum or zygote: Morning after pill (abortifacient) and IUD

The Pill
 The Pill was developed by doctor and researcher, Gregory Pincus, with the aid of financial benefactor,
Katherine McCormick, and longtime birth control and advocate Margaret Sanger. According to the Mayo
Clinic, “the pill” is a combination of progestin and estrogen with a rate of effectiveness at 92 percent.
 Aims to control the population
 Pill is taken prior to intercourse, therefore, it is not abortive but it has side effects to the health.
Condoms
 “barriers”
 Modern condoms generally are made from synthetic rubber. Condoms are classified as ”barrier”
contraception. Aside from traditional male condoms that fit over the penis, the female typemade of
plasticis partially inserted into the vagina. The male condom has an 85 percent effectiveness rate while the
female condom has a 79 percent rate, according to Mayo Clinic.

Diaphragm
 The diaphragm, unlike the female or male condoms, is reusable. It is made of rubber and inserted into the
vaginawith spermicide (chemical) appliedto cover the cervix. The diaphragm’s effective rate is
approximately 84 percent

Tubal Ligation
 for female
 Abortion: Terminating the fetus

 There’s no such thing as inborn diseases. May nangyari lang during the time of pregnancy that made the
child disabled.

Vasectomy
 For male
 UNNATURAL FAMILY PLANNING METHODS

Family planning methods:

1. Natural
2. Artificial
3. Unnatural

What is the difference between natural and unnatural family planning?

 Natural family planning does not involve sexual acts, while unnatural family planning involves sexual
activities because of the desire for sexual pleasures.

Unnatural Family Planning

 Withdrawal – “pulling out”; male partner interrupts intercourse, so that he can withdraw his penis from his
partner’s vagina prior to ejaculation.
 Homosexual Acts
 Masturbation

Intrauterine Device (IUD)

 There is a string attached to the device when inserted (vaginal insertion)

END