Canon Law – Liturgical Regulations – Marriage Impediments Due to Kinship
First: Liturgy as a Source of Canon Law
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III affirms that liturgy is a fundamental source for understanding canon law, because it reveals how laws are practically applied in the life of the Church, unlike legal texts which present only the theoretical aspect.
Second: Marriage as a Sacrament and Unity
Marriage in Christianity makes the two spouses one, no longer two but one. From this principle arises a spiritual and legal kinship, whereby the relatives of one spouse become relatives of the other, forming the basis of marriage impediments.
Third: Biblical Roots of Kinship Impediments
Marriage impediments due to kinship are rooted in clear Old Testament texts, especially Leviticus chapter 18, which provides a precise list of prohibited relationships, such as marriage to close relatives or to relatives of one’s spouse.
Fourth: Kinship Resulting from Marriage
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that marriage does not create a temporary relationship that ends with death, but a permanent kinship. Therefore, these impediments remain even after the death of one spouse, because kinship itself does not end with the end of marital life.
Fifth: Preventing Confusion of Lineage
The Church teaches that any marriage which causes confusion in kinship titles or mixing of lineage is considered canonically forbidden, in order to preserve the familial and spiritual order of society.
Sixth: The Church’s Consensus Through the Ages
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III presents evidence from the Apostolic Canons, local councils before Nicaea, the teachings of Saint Basil the Great, and the laws of the patriarchs, confirming that kinship-related marriage impediments are not later civil regulations, but authentic ecclesiastical teaching from the earliest days of Christianity.
Conclusion
Marriage impediments due to kinship reflect the Church’s profound understanding of the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage, the protection of family unity, and the prevention of any spiritual or social disorder, in full harmony with Holy Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.
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