Week 3 Midterm B
Week 3 Midterm B
Week 3 Midterm B
FAMILY
STRUCTURE
The Nuclear Family or Conjugal Family
• Patriarchal
• Matriarchal
ON THE BASIS OF RESIDENCE
• Patrilocal
• Matrilocal
• Neo-local
ON THE BASIS OF MATES
• Monogamous (one partner)
• Polygamous (many partner)
Polygyny – man marrying many women
Polyandry – woman marrying many men
IMPEDIMENT
S TO
MARRIAGE
AGE
If either party is under the required age, the marriage
is invalid. This is an ecclesiastical impediment, and
so does not apply to a marriage between two non-
Catholics. However, in a marriage between a
Catholic and a non-Catholic, the age limitation also
applies to the non-Catholic party.
IMPOTENCE
To invalidate a marriage, the impotence must be
perpetual [i.e., incurable] and antecedent to the
marriage. The impotence can either be absolute
[i.e. with regard to any person of the opposite
sex] or relative [i.e. with regard to the specific
person of the spouse].
PREVIOUS
MARRIAGE
Whether conducted in the Catholic Church, in another
Church or Ecclesial Community, or solely in terms of
Civil Law, any previous marriages by either party
wishing to marry [again] must be declared null before a
wedding can take place in the Catholic Church. This is
irrespective of the religion of the party previously
married. If a prior marriage cannot be declared null, no
new marriage is possible.
DISPARITY OF CULT
A marriage between a Catholic and a non-
baptised person is invalid unless a
dispensation is granted by the local
Ordinary [usually the Bishop].
HOLY ORDERS
One of the parties has received sacred
orders [Deacon, Priest or Bishop]. This
impediment is of ecclesiastical law and
may only dispensed by the Apostolic See
[Rome].
PERPETUAL VOW OF
CHASTITY
One of the parties has made a public
perpetual vow of chastity as a monk or
religious sister or in some other form of
consecrated life. This impediment is of
ecclesiastical law and may only dispensed
by the Apostolic See.
ABDUCTION
One of the parties has been abducted for
the purpose of contracting marriage.
CONSANGUINITY
The parties to the marriage are close blood relatives. The
relationship between, for example, a father and daughter,
or grandparent and grandchild, is known as the "direct
line" of consanguinity. Marriage is always prohibited in the
direct line. The relationship between first cousins would be
known as the "collateral line" of consanguinity. Marriage is
prohibited up to and including the "fourth degree" on the
collateral line.
AFFINITY
This refers to the direct line whereby the two
persons are not related by blood, but are legally
related as the result of a valid marriage. For
example, a woman may not marry her step-father
or her mother’s step-father. There is no
impediment of affinity in the collateral line.
PUBLIC PROPRIETY
Whilst affinity is calculated on the basis of a valid
marriage situation, the impediment of public propriety is
based on cohabitation. If it is publicly, or "notoriously",
known that two people live together, marriage is
prohibited only in the direct line and only in the first
degree. For example, a man may not marry the daughter
of his female partner born to her from a previous liaison
[whether marriage or not].
ADOPTION
Those who are legally related by reason of adoption
cannot validly marry each other if their relationship is in
the direct line or in the second degree of the collateral
line. For example, if a married man and wife adopt a
daughter, the man may not marry his adopted daughter’s
sister nor, of course, his adopted daughter [e.g. if his
marriage were declared null, he could not then marry the
adopted daughter].