20120604 Priest witnesses covenant 神父見證盟誓
According to the Baltimore Catechism, “Matrimony is the sacrament by which a baptized man and a baptized woman bind themselves for life in a lawful marriage and receive the grace to discharge their duties.”
Only the marriage between two baptized persons is a sacrament. The marriage between a baptized person and an unbaptized person or between two unbaptized persons is a true marriage, but it is not a sacrament.
The matter of the sacrament of matrimony is the mutual consent of the contracting parties to give themselves to each other, and the form consists in their expression of mutual consent to take each other.
The ministers of the sacrament of matrimony are the contracting parties themselves: the bridegroom and the bride. The priest is an indispensable witness and gives the nuptial blessing.
Father Bennet Kelley, CP, has pointed out that “the sacramental grace of matrimony helps married people to bear with each other’s defects and to fulfill the duties of their state, chiefly bringing children into the world and rearing them for God.”
Proper disposition
Bishop Louis LaRavoire Morrow, author of My Catholic Faith, writes, “To receive the sacrament of matrimony worthily it is necessary (a) to be in the state of grace, (b) to know the duties of married life, and (c) to obey the marriage laws of the Church.”
According to one catechism, there are four requisites for a valid marriage contract: 1) persons capable of marrying, 2) mutual consent, 3) matter subject to contractual obligations, and 4) observance of prescribed formalities.
“Capable of marrying” means that both the man and the woman have sufficient use of reason to know the nature and obligations of marriage, and that they are free from impediments (obstacles to valid and lawful marriage).
There must be mutual consent in marriage. If only one party consents, there is no marriage. If a woman is forced into marriage, goes through the ceremony and says the vows but does not consent to the marriage, there is no contract, no marriage.
The matter subject to contractual obligations in marriage is “the right that the contracting parties mutually give and accept to perform that holy act which has for its purpose the generation of human lives for God’s glory.”
For a Catholic marriage to be valid, it must be contracted according to the formalities prescribed by the Church: consent must be given in the presence of an authorized priest and two witnesses.
According to the Baltimore Catechism, “The chief duties of husband and wife in the married state are to be faithful to each other, and to provide in every way for the welfare of the children God may give them.”
Purposes and qualities
Regarding the purposes of marriage, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The matrimonial covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring.”
In order to achieve the purposes of marriage, a stable environment is necessary. Hence the two chief qualities or characteristics of matrimony are unity and indissolubility.
“Unity” means that marriage may take place only between one man and one woman. It excludes all forms of polygamy.
Father John Hardon explains, “Unity of marriage is prescribed by the law of God in order to secure the physical and moral education of the children, the protection of marital fidelity, the imitation of Christ in union with the Church, and peace and harmony within the family.”
“Indissolubility” means that marriage is a life-long commitment, and the marital bond of a sacramental marriage cannot be broken except by the death of either party.
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church” (Eph 5:25).
「博迪模天主教要理」認定：「一對已受洗男女教友的合法婚姻，是一件終身盟誓的聖事，接受天主的聖寵，以履行他們的責任。」
只有一對已受洗男女教友的婚姻，被視為一件聖事，否則，若雙方或任何一方是非已受洗的教友，該婚姻雖屬合法有效，但不是聖事。
婚姻聖事的「質」，是雙方彼此同意把自己交給對方，而聖事的「形」，是雙方表達同意去接受對方。
婚姻聖事的施行者，是新郎和新娘本人，而神父是該聖事不可或缺的見證人，且為新人行祝婚禮。
苦難會會士嘉里神父指出：「婚姻聖事的聖事恩寵，幫助夫婦二人承擔對方的缺點，履行各自應盡的責任，更是要讓他們生兒育女，為天主培育下一代。」
適當的準備
「我的天主教信仰」作者類斯.莫魯主教寫道：「要堪當地領受婚姻聖事，必需一）在寵愛當中；二）明白和願意承擔婚姻的責任；三）遵從聖教會有關婚姻的法律。」
一本要理課本說明，有效婚姻盟誓應該具備四大條件：一）當事人有能力去結婚；二）雙方彼此同意；三）承擔盟誓內容的責任；四）遵從訂立盟誓的形式。
「有能力去結婚」是指男女相方都有足夠的理智去明白婚姻盟誓的本質和責任，並沒有會導致婚姻無效或不合法的障礙。
有效的婚姻需要男女雙方有彼此的同意，缺一則視為無效。例如任何一方在被逼情況下，即使舉行了婚禮，也道出婚姻誓詞，但在心內卻不同意結婚，這段婚姻仍是無效，不存在任何盟誓。
婚姻盟誓中的內容就是男女二人互予對方權利去行夫婦的行為，其目的是為光榮天主而繁衍後代。
天主教徒的婚姻，要遵從教會指定的形式，在神父及兩位人士的見証下訂立，才是有效。
「博迪模天主教要理」明言：「夫婦間首要責任是忠於對方，並在各方面照顧天主賜予的子女。」
目的與要素
對於婚姻的目的，「天主教要理」宣明：「男女雙方是藉婚姻盟約結合為終身伴侶，此盟約以其本質指向夫妻的福祉，以及生育和教養子女」。
為達成婚姻的目的，一個穩定的環境是非常重要的；因此，夫婦的「結合」和「不能拆散」是婚姻的要素。
「結合」所指，婚姻只是一男一女的結合，不牽涉其他人，視為一夫一妻制，排除多妻或多夫制。
若望.赫頓神父解釋：「天主法律中婚姻的結合，確保教育下一代的身心，捍衛婚姻的忠誠，效法基督與祂教會的共融，保障家庭的平安與和諧。」
「不能拆散」意思是指婚姻是終身的盟誓，聖事婚姻的盟誓約朿至一方死去為止。
「做丈夫的要愛你的妻子，猶如基督愛祂的教會一樣。」（弗5:25)