The Catholic Church's View Of Arranged Marriages

The concept of arranged marriages has been a traditional part of human culture and development, and was not uncommon in the past. As families agreed to join their children in future matrimony, these events would be set in stone without an opportunity for refusal. Although it can be seen as a dark mark in cultural history when compared to the majority of freedoms that individuals have today, it is impossible to deny that arranged marriages are what many of previous generations relied on to upkeep familial honour, form strong bonds within families, and ensure the continuation of descendants. Today, arranged marriages are not very common in most areas of the world, however, in Middle Eastern countries, some parts of Africa, Southern Asia, and

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Vatican states that “consent constitutes Matrimony,” so in order for a valid marriage to occur, both parties involved in the marriage must willingly consent to it and their consent cannot be “determined by duress or coercion” (97). This statement provides insight on the Church’s general view of forced marriages and proves that the Church does not tolerate marriages that are fixed ahead of time, as they believe that true marriages must have both free will and love present. On the institution of marriage, the Archdiocese of Melbourne states: “In giving themselves freely, a person is saying that ‘it is my choice to spend the rest of my life with you.’ Parents may not exert undue pressure on young people to marry” (“Marriage”). Opinions of both bride and groom are highly valued in the eyes of the Church, and forcing two people to join in marriage infringes on the rights of the individuals involved. The Church, as an institution, also has a strong opinion on social justice and human equality, as it once stated that, “society ensures social justice when it respects the dignity and the rights of the person as the proper end of society itself” (The Vatican 116). Also, as a minor, or considered a ‘child’ at the point of her marriage, the Compendium states that: “[a child] has the right to be respected as a person from the moment of conception” (138). Taking this perspective into consideration, the Church would view the case of Banaz Mahmod as a social injustice because her rights were not at all respected by her family or by the members of her community. As a result, Banaz’s parents went directly against the Church’s ethical constitution of a marriage by forcing it on her at a very young age. In the Veritatis Splendor, a papal encyclical, Pope John Paul II speaks on behalf of the Second