Saints LightWhat Makes a Marriage a Sacrament?
In marriage the spouses give the sacrament to each other, binding themselves for life as a sign of Christ's love. An annulment does not end a marriage; it declares that a valid one never began.
What this lesson teaches
- Between two baptized persons, marriage is a sacrament and a sign of Christ's love for the Church.
- In the Latin Church the spouses themselves are the ministers, giving the sacrament by their free consent.
- A valid, consummated sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power.
- A declaration of nullity finds that a valid bond never existed; it is not a divorce and does not make children illegitimate.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 1601
- CCC 1623
- CCC 1625-1629
- CCC 1640
- CCC 1650-1651
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:31-32.
A sample question from this lesson
In the Latin Church, who are the ministers of the sacrament of Matrimony?
- The priest alone
- The two witnesses
- The bride and groom themselves
- The bishop of the diocese
Show the answer
The bride and groom themselves. The spouses confer the sacrament on each other by their consent; the priest or deacon receives it in the Church's name (CCC 1623).
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Consent
- The free act of will by which a man and woman give and accept each other in marriage.
- Declaration of nullity
- A Church tribunal's finding that a valid marriage never existed, often called an annulment.
- Impediment
- Something that makes a person unable to marry validly, such as an existing marriage.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"What Makes a Marriage a Sacrament?" is lesson 8 of The Seven Sacraments. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
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Related lessons
- Coming Home: What If I Have Been Away for Years? (Becoming Catholic, free)