Catholic Teaching on Marriage and Family

Below is a collection of Church documents related to marriage and family issues, provided by the Holy See (Vatican) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Introduction

Frequently Asked Questions

Catechism of the Catholic Church on Marriage:
- Male and Female He Created Them (#369-373)
- The Sacrament of Matrimony (#1601-1666)
- The Family in God's Plan (#2197-2233)
- The Vocation to Chastity and Offenses Against the Dignity of Marriage (#2331-2400)

The Family

The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World
- Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio, Nov. 22, 1981

The Family and Human Rights, and Charter on the Rights of the Family
- Pontifical Council for the Family, Oct. 22, 1983

Letter to Families
- Pope John Paul II, Grattisimam Sane, Feb. 2, 1994

Follow the Way of Love: A Pastoral Message to Families
- USCCB Committee on Marriage and Family Life, 1994

Life and Procreation

The Gospel of Life
- Pope John Paul II's Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, March 25, 1995

Donum Vitae: Instruction on Respect for Human Life in its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Feb. 22, 1987

On the Regulation of Birth
- Pope Paul VI's Encyclical Humanae Vitae, July 25, 1968

Married Love and the Gift of Life
- USSCB Committee on Marriage and Family Life, Nov. 14, 2006

Sexual Difference

On the Dignity and Vocation of Women
- Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, Aug. 15, 1988

The Collaboration of Men and Women
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, May 31, 2004

Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognitions to Unions Between Homosexual Persons
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 3, 2003

On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Oct. 1, 1986

Between Man and Woman: Questions and Answers About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions
- USCCB Committee on Marriage and Family Life, Nov. 12, 2003

Other Papal Documents

God is Love
- Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, Dec. 25, 2005

Chastity in Marriage
- Pope Pius XI's Encyclical Casti Connubii, Dec. 31, 1930

On Christian Marriage
- Pope Leo XIII's Encyclical Arcanum, Feb. 10, 1880

Miscellaneous

Preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage
- Pontifical Council of the Family, May 13, 1996

Apostolic Letter on Mixed Marriages
- Pope Paul VI, Matrimonia Mixta, May 30, 1970

Family, Marriage and "De facto Unions"
- Pontifical Council of the Family, Nov. 21, 2000

The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality: Guidelines for Education within the Family
- Pontifical Council of the Family, Dec. 8, 1995

Letter Concerning the Reception of Holy Communion by the Divorced and Remarried Members of the Faithful
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Annus Internationalis, Sept. 14, 1994

Code of Canon Law on Marriage (Can. 1055-1165)