The Catholic Wisdom — What Canon Law Says About Getting Married
What Is the Code of Canon Law?
The Code of Canon Law (1983) is the Church’s legal framework for her life and governance — 1,752 canons across seven books. Pope John Paul II promulgated it as the renewal of Church discipline after Vatican II. Canons 1055–1165 govern marriage specifically, covering everything from consent and impediments to the canonical form required for a valid wedding.
Why It Matters for Dating and Marriage
I learned the hard way that most Catholics treat canon law as bureaucratic fine print — something you deal with when a priest hands you a pre-Cana packet. That’s backwards. Canon law on marriage isn’t red tape; it’s the Church protecting what marriage actually is. Canon 1055 defines marriage as a covenant, not a contract — a total, permanent, faithful, and fruitful union ordered to the good of spouses and the generation of children. Understanding that before you’re engaged changes how you date.
One Teaching We Use Every Day
“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.” (Code of Canon Law, Canon 1055 §1)
The phrase “partnership of the whole of life” is doing a lot of work. Not a partnership of feelings, not of convenience — of the whole of life. That’s what you’re moving toward if you’re dating with real intent. Once you absorb that, casual relationships that were never going anywhere lose their appeal.
How We Apply It
In True Love (Young Adults 20-39): We use Canon 1055 and the surrounding canons on consent to help young adults understand what the Church actually requires — and why those requirements exist — long before they’re standing at an altar.
In Before Forever (High School 14-19): We bring parents into the conversation around canonical requirements — not to overwhelm teenagers, but to help families treat marriage preparation as formation that begins now, not six months before a wedding.
FAQ
Q: Why would canon law be relevant to someone who’s just dating? A: Because you date toward something. If marriage is the destination, knowing what the Church requires for a valid marriage — real consent, no impediments, proper form — shapes how seriously you take the relationship you’re building.
Q: What are marriage impediments and do they actually matter? A: Yes. Impediments include things like a prior valid marriage, certain degrees of blood relation, and lack of canonical age. They’re not obscure technicalities — they exist because the Church takes the reality of what marriage is seriously enough to protect it.
This article is part of The Catholic Wisdom Behind Our Coaching series. Next: How the Mass Prepares You for Marriage.
In Christ,
Mike
Mike Palitto is co-founder of Finding Adam Finding Eve ministry and co-creator of the Game of Love app.