Why must married couples be open to children?
Catechism Meditation:
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. ―No. 1601
REFLECTION: The Church teaches that in the case of sacramental marriage, it is asked and even expected of the couple that they be open to children throughout their marriage. This is why the priest performing the ceremony and leading marriage prep asks the couple if they are freely, fruitfully, fully, and faithfully entering the sacrament with their spouse.
Scripture tells us that children are blessings from God. And so they are. But we live in a time when secular humanists have twisted the virtue of childbearing into the vice of overpopulation. Parents often need additional encouragement to accept additional “blessings.” Also, our world often tells us that marriage doesn’t need to be open to life. People will even sometimes say it’s selfish and reckless to bring children into a world that is so broken. But the truth of the matter is that a marriage can’t be sacramental without an openness to life, and that’s a big deal.
Marriage is a school of gratitude, in which husband and wife are thankful for the gift of each other. They express their joyous gratitude in giving themselves completely to each other. Their gratitude leads them to be open to children and to be generous towards others. Bottom line is, sacramental marriage is a gift of self towards another, totally, fruitfully, fully, and faithfully. Without an openness to life and the procreation of children, this gift of self is not complete, and therefore it cannot be a sacrament of God.
PRAYER. O God, may all married couples come to value the unitive and procreative purpose of marriage.
Timeless Wisdom Quote:
“God associated pleasure with the marital act in order that husband and wife might not remiss in their social obligation to propagate humankind and raise children for the Kingdom of God.” ― Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen