Marriage is unique for a reason.
We invite you to find out why.
From generation to generation, the institution of marriage has been the cornerstone of family life and of societal well-being. For two thousand years, the teaching of the Catholic Church on the meaning of marriage has positively influenced both culture and society.
In conjunction with the release of the Pastoral Letter on Marriage from the Most Reverend Richard J. Malone, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, we invite you to join us as we explore the true meaning of marriage: yesterday, today and always.
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Marriage is a Unique Relationship
Marriage is a unique union, a relationship different from all others. It is the permanent bond between one man and one woman and the indispensable good at the heart of every family and every society.
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The True Nature of Marriage
The true nature of marriage, a husband and wife living in openness to life, is also a witness to the precious gift of the child and to the unique and irreplaceable roles of both a mother and a father.
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A Child is a Gift
A child is not a possession to be had but a gift to be received. It is the child who has rights: first, the right to be the fruit of a specific act of conjugal love between his or her parents.
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Marriage and the Good of Society
Marriage is the foundation of the family and the best place for children to be loved, cared for, educated, and taught to be productive, creative, upright, and responsible citizens.
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But God did create man a solitary being. From the beginning “male and female he created them” (Gn 1:27). This partnership of man and woman constitutes the first form of communion between persons.–Gaudiem et Spies #12
The union of one man and one woman joined in traditional monogamous marriage is of inestimable value to society; the State has a compelling interest to nurture and promote the unique institution of traditional monogamous marriage in the support of harmonious families and the physical and mental health of children; and that the State has the compelling interest in promoting the moral values inherent in traditional monogamous marriage.–Maine Revised Statutes
Men and women are made for each other not only physically, but also emotionally, sexually, and psychologically. Marriage depends upon sexual difference. The union and communion that marriage calls for, which is entered into by the vows, necessarily depends on the union of one man and one women.–Bishop's Pastoral Letter on Marriage