marriage test

CM Exam #2 Questions  

Be prepared to answer any of the following questions below according to the course lectures:


1. Casti connubii: Identify two errors against each of the three goods of marriage and indicate the three remedies proposed by Pope Pius XI to overcoming these errors. 

Against Three Goods of Marriage - 

  1. Children (mentality that children are a burden) 

    1. Contraception - frustrate the procreative 

    2. Abortion - murder of a conceived child 

  2. Conjugal fidelity (deny the monogamousness of marriage) 

    1. Polygamy - having many wives 

    2. Adultery - cheating 

  3. Sacrament 

    1. Divorce - bad for family and state 

    2. Trial marriage - move in and see if it works 

    3. Pre-nuptial agreements - against the permanence 

Remedies - 

  1. Prayer and the sacraments (especially confession and the Eucharist) 

  2. Docility to the magisterium (be open to teachings) 

  3. Adequate marriage preparation with a focus on beauty and purpose within God’s plan (what it is for/about) 


2. Explain the Church's position on artificial insemination (and be sure to make the necessary distinctions), and also explain the Church's position on in vitro fertilization, as well as five reasons for this position.

Artificial insemination - 

  1. When outside marriage = gravely evil 

  2. When within marriage but with a ‘donor’ = gravely evil 

    1. Heterologous artificial insemination 

  3. When within marriage with spouse = depends 

    1. Homologous artificial insemination 

      1. Must assist/supplement the conjugal act NOT replace it (not render mere sexual act) 

      2. Dignity of conjugal act and spouses must be preserved 

      3. Technically possible does NOT mean morally permissible 

In-Vitro Fertilization - 

  • Is an intrinsic evil = never okay 

  1. Separates the unitive and procreative meanings of the conjugal act 

  2. Promotes an abortion mentality (“spare” embryos are typically destroyed)

  3. Child is deprived of right to be born of parents known to him/her 

  4. Treats child as a commodity to be demanded not as a gift received 

  5. Sperm is obtained immorally through masturbation 


3. Provide some specific examples of the personalism evident in Gaudium et Spes as pertaining to marriage and family life; explain whether or not such language marks a departure from the Thomistic understanding of the ends of marriage; comment on the proper understanding of "spousal love" and whether it is a competing end of marriage. 


Gaudium et Spes - Vatican II on marriage and family

  1. Purpose of this section was to guard and teach the faith more effectively

  1. Decided not to use “excommunication” language- chose to be more “pastoral” 

  1. The 4th pillar of vatican II- 

    1. Marriage and conjugal love are by nature ordered to the procreation and education of children. Indeed children are the supreme gift of marriage and greatly contribute to the good of the parents themselves.

  2. Examples of personalism 

    1. There is a significance of referring to child as “bonum” (means good), and “donum” (which means gift). Vatican II sees children as gifts, which is more personalistic - does not depart from “bonum” but elevates it 

    2. Gaudium et spes does not use the terms “primary end” “secondary end” or “good of marriage” - not change in teachings - just switch to language to fit pastoral Vatican II 

    3. The home is referred to as the “domestic Church” - parents are the primary educators of their children much like a priest to his people 

  3. Terminology away from thomism to personalism 

    1. Thomism: unchanging laws of nature, very objective

      1. Dangers of thomism: seeing the doctrine but not translating it to our lives

    2. Personalism : human experience, subjective 

      1. Dangers of personalism: “its all about me!”

    3. Must have a balance between the two- be grounded in dogma but also seen through the lens of human free will and  experience 

    4. Some will say that personalism dropped Church teaching, when it really just used language that people will be able to understand and relate to

  4. Role of conjugal or spousal love in marriage

    1. It is not the competing “end” with children. 

    2. Also ordered towards procreation 

    3. Love is not a goal, it is presupposed 

    4. Conjugal love is the “form” of marriage- conjugal love animates marriage the way the soul animates the body


4. Provide the background leading up to the writing of Humanae vitae from the vantage point of the Commission put together by John XXIII and expanded by Paul VI that was tasked with studying the issue of population, the family and birth, and incorporate the relevant opinions of the synod of bishops who were invited to make known their views to Paul VI on these matters.


In 1963  Pope John XXIII called for a small commission (6 people) to advise him on the question of the birth control pill. Paul VI enlarged a commission to 70 people. 

Two positions needed: 

1.) Majority report- (90% of commission) Church needs to enlarge/change teaching, pro birth control pill - purposely leaked to the press. 

  • Completely personalist not grounded in Thomism

  • Argued there was an overpopulation problem 

  • Married people cannot be expected to practice chastity and discipline 

2.) Minority report- (10%) Church should not and cannot change teaching 

Paul VI reputed on 3 reposis for 2 years before issuing humanae vitae

On July 25, 1968



5. Explain the view of those who advocated for the "principle of totality;" explain Pope Paul VI's response to this principle and the reason for it; identify and briefly explain the four hallmarks of conjugal love


Principle of totality says: we agree that the primary end of marriage is procreation and marriage must be open to life BUT as long as we intend to AT SOME point be open to life and not use contraception then in other, individual cases, it is okay to use contraception (must in the big picture be open to life but pro contraception in individual acts) 


Principle formed because the majority report argued that you can not expect married couples to practice chastity and discipline 


Pope Paul VI’s response: a majority vote does not constitute truth - he talks of “conjugal love” and “responsible parenthood” and the need for real definitions - Principle is REJECTED 

  • He said that each and every marriage must remain open to the transmission of life

  • Intention to eventually be open to life does not justify individual contraception

  • BEACAUSE responsible parenthood is always at the service of life - no room for selfishness - a child is the greatest gift to spouse or potential sibling ??? 


4 Hallmarks: 

  1. Fully human - rooted in the will and expressed in the body (not act of man) 

  2. Total - nothing held back (love for who they are + for their own sake) 

  3. Faithful - exclusive until death 

  4. Fruitful - ordered towards procreation and education of kids (crowning glory)  



6. Identify the most important teaching found in Humanae vitae; identify seven ways that human procreation is radically different from animal reproduction; identify the relationship between the terms good, end, and meaning, and explain the relationship between the two "meanings" of the conjugal act.

  1. Most important teaching : 

    1. The “doctrine of the indissoluable “connection” between procreation and union in the conjugal act” 

    2. If the life giving dimension (procreation) of the marital act is removed, then it becomes impossible for the act to signify or bring about spousal union

  2. 7 ways that procreation is different from animal reproduction

    1. Humans consciously choose to procreate

    2. The child is a gift, not a byproduct 

    3. The child possesses a rational, immortal soul

    4. The child has a super natural vocation to beatitudes; needs supernatural agency

    5. Child is a someone, not a something

    6. Child possesses an incommunicable interiority- cant fully express their inner life 

    7. Child is the visible incarnation of the mutual love between parents 

  3. Relationship of good meaning and end 

    1. A good is that which motivates the will

    2. An end is a good which the will actively seeks

    3. A meaning is the interiorization and experience of the subjects act of willing

    4. A good becomes an end when it is directly willed; the end becomes the meaning when the subject is consciously experiencing his/her act of willing the good 

      1. Meaning comes from reflecting and dwelling on the good

  4. Procreation and union as meanings ??

    1. These stand or fall together; if one destroys the meaning of transmitting life, one necessarily destroys its power to signify/ bring about that union 

    2. Doctrinal development in conjugal morality - take it a step further by explicitly explaining terms (meaning is a new, elevated term) 


7. How does Natural Family Planning differ from contraception if both are used apparently for the same purpose? Also identify and explain four grounds for the immorality of contraception and simply list the four prophecies of Paul VI regarding what would happen if contraceptive use became normative.


  • NFP involves the correct use of sexual facilities, contraception impedes the finality for our sexual facilities.


The 4 Grounds For Immorality of contraception 

  1. Incompatible with conjugal love

    1. Contraception is self-centered - conjugal love is other-centered 

    2. Marriage without the form of love is dead 

  2. Incompatible with the human person 

    1. Contraception degrades a person to use for pleasure - person is not to be objectified 

  3. Incompatible with the conjugal act 

    1. If act is not both unitive and procreative it is only a sexual act 

    2. Not full gift of self 

  4. Incompatible with the language of the body.

    1. Body says “i give you all of me” but contraception makes this a lie 

    2. Does not give ones fertility 


Prophecies 

  1. Increased martial infidelity 

  2. Husbands seeing wives as sex objects 

  3. Lowering of morality especially in young 

  4. Government forces birth control programs upon citizens