feature
Whether it’s a refresher course or an introduction, each of the “Sacraments 101″ videos gives you the basics about some aspect of one of the sacraments of the Catholic Church — in just a few minutes!
Click this banner to see the entire series.
November 15th, 2011
Matrimony (why make it Catholic)
- (8)
- Follow us:
Why do we have to have a Catholic wedding? Why does it take so long to get married in the Church? Why does the Church insist we have children?
These questions and more are answered in this edition of “Sacraments 101,” a web video series geared for those who’d like an introduction or refresher course on these important, tangible Catholic experiences of God.
You can download this video here.
- (8)
- Follow us:
“Why does the Church insist we have children?”
It doesn’t. It insists that you not use artificial birth control. Whether you have children is up to God, and not giving you any doesn’t make your marriage invalid.
How do we know God is against birth control? If we go by the Bible, it was not invented. I think it is terrible to force people to have children if they do not want them or afford them. I understand that abortion is a sin but then birth control should be allowed. A happily married couple should be able to express their love physically without the fear of bringing an unwanted child into the world. What kind of life is that for this child then?
There is a holistic and natural way for couples to avoid conceiving. It’s called Natural Family Planning… which is using your fertility as a couple to ensure that when you do choose to be intimate it is not during a fertile time of your cycle. It is not difficult, actually the World Health Organization has taught forms of Natural Family Planning in third world countries to their illiterate populations with the same results of artificial means which in some of those countries are illegal. The Church has always taught the God is the author of Life yet she has always taught us to be well formed and educated. There are many forms of Natural Family Planning, Billings, Creighton, Sympto-Thermal, Marquette… just google and you will see the resources.
Gina Santonas – the Church isn’t trying to be a ‘kill joy’ in forbidding artificial contraception. In super basic terms, married couples are called to be free, total, faithful and fruitful. Contraception is a violation of these vows made on the wedding day – intercourse between husband and wife is supposed to be these vows made flesh, and it is a lie when intercourse is sterilised artifically. I really recommend you read into ‘Theology of the Body’ – Chris West books in particular if you can get your hands on it/them.
I saw this on the internets:
“Indeed, in the Catholic Church to this day, a couple may become sacramentally married without even the presence of any clergy, let alone a government agent. If no clergy is available, couples may simply make vows in the presence of lay witnesses. The marriage is then perfectly valid according to the Church’s own law”.
Is this true?
Listen, I know all about the rythmn method and all of that. I just don’t understand the problem God would have if the couple cannot afford children, have medical issues or do not want any more. I think it is short minded of the church and discourages many from following it.
Gina- if you choose to read about Theology of the Body, read other interpretations besides Christopher West’s. His writings on TOB have been denounced by many of his former teachers and are greatly influenced by the Charasmatic community he grew up in. Many others can provide a more balanced and less sex obsessed teaching on TOB.
Thanks for the video. My girlfriend and I are looking forward to the next one to better help us prepare for a Catholic wedding and marriage.
Please note that the editorial staff reserves the right to not post comments it deems to be inappropriate and/or malicious in nature, as well as edit comments for length, clarity and fairness.