![\"By](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/533\/2015\/03\/Wedding_rings.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Catholic teaching says:<\/p>\n
Consent \u2014 and the maturity and mental capacity to be able to fully consent<\/p>\n
Intention for lifelong fidelity<\/p>\n
Openness to new life.<\/p>\n
So, my question to non-Catholic readers is, what do you think the (secular) definition of marriage is?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not talking about what makes a marriage successful. \u00a0I\u2019m speaking more narrowly: \u00a0under what circumstances would you say, \u201cthat\u2019s only a sham marriage\u201d?<\/p>\n
Conducting a marriage ceremony to enable someone to stay in the country, with no intention to have any relationship?<\/p>\n
\u201cMarrying\u201d a business partner because it makes legal arrangements work better?<\/p>\n
Marrying in order to qualify for financial aid as an independent student?<\/p>\n
Marrying with no intention of permanence, or even no desire for permanence, or even a stated intention to part ways after a given length of time or a change in circumstances?<\/p>\n
Marrying with no intention of \u201cfor richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health\u201d \u2014 with the intention, indeed, to leave should the other party experience hardship, or, say, become pregnant?<\/p>\n
Marrying with no intention of mutual support \u2014 \u201cyou manage your own affairs, and I manage mine, and we divide the common expenses 50\/50, tough luck if you can\u2019t afford it\u201d?<\/p>\n
Marrying while hiding some significant fact from the future spouse (an ongoing affair, a secret child, criminal activity, etc.), that, if known, would have led the spouse to cancel the wedding?<\/p>\n
Or would you say, \u201cany marriage that\u2019s recognized by the government is always by definition a \u2018valid marriage\u2019 and any further debates are just about whether you cast moral judgement on the spouses\u201d?<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Image: \u00a0By Jeff Belmonte from Cuiab\u00e1, Brazil (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Catholic teaching says: Consent \u2014 and the maturity and mental capacity to be able to fully consent Intention for lifelong fidelity Openness to new life. So, my question to non-Catholic readers is, what do you think the (secular) definition of marriage is? I\u2019m not talking about what makes a marriage successful. \u00a0I\u2019m speaking more narrowly: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":1550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[151],"class_list":["post-5355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-marriage"],"yoast_head":"\n