The Moral Aspects of Christian Marriage

Abstract

In this article the author analyses the moral aspects of Christian marriage, a sacramental institution entering into the mystery of God's covenant with his people.
The first section speaks generally about God's plan for man, and that plan is love. The second section deals with the sacrament of matrimony and its effects. Marital love requires unity, indissolubility and faithfulness in mutual giving. Mutual giving in love, a unique aspect of marriage, means openness to fertility, the procreative aspect of marriage.
The third section deals with birth control. From the aspect of Christian morality, any act undertaken for the purpose of preventing the conception of a life is considered immoral. It is immoral to prevent fertilization in a direct manner - continual or temporary - either by the man or the woman. When there exist valid reasons for birth-spacing, the Church teaches that couples may take into account natural changes which are immanent birth-giving powers. From the point of view of Christian morality, medically assisted fertilization is degrading to man and also to his dignity. It is equally immoral to intentionally provoke a miscarriage in order to terminate a birth process that has already begun. We are dealing here with the immorality of abortion.