Paragraph nine of Humanae Vitae stood out to me and I agree with the Pope regarding his views on married love. His words were that "This love is above all fully human, a compound of sense and spirit. It is not, then, merely a question of natural instinct or emotional drive. It is also, and above all, an act of the free will, whose trust is such that it is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way one heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment. It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience. Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself. Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage (Humanae Vitae, 1968). From these words, the Pope explains that marriage is a serious and sacred institution. Both the husband and wife are to be one soul and one heart and to grow together in their journey of marriage. Both sides are to be selfless and to care for one another through sadness and hardship. They are to take joy in one another's happiness. Both are to be faithful and to love one another until death. The husband and wife are to understand these terms the moment they say their vows to one another on their wedding day.I strongly agree with the Pope because his words fully describe what marriage is supposed to be. Both the husband and wife are to be committed to their marriage and to love one another unconditionally through joy and happiness and sadness and difficulty. They are to be one soul and to grow old together. His words set an example for couples to abide to and proves that when vows are spoken, it is a promise between husband and wife to love one another until death. Of course, marriage is not simple but it is not impossible if both sides are committed to it.
When I read this paragraph from Humanae Vitae, issues of our society came to my mind. One of them is gay marriage. If two people love one another unconditionally and are committed to each other and their journey together, do we have the right to impede upon their special connection and relationship if they are homosexual? It is a tough issue because no doubt there are many views and opinions regarding this issue. This leads to debate over the Federal Marriage Amendment which was introduced before the House of Representatives on May 21, 2003. If the amendment was accepted, it would have defined marriage as a union between a man and woman only. I feel that views on gay marriage should be reconsidered because if two people love each other unconditionally as the Pope described, I feel that they should at least have the equal right to be with one another for the rest of their lives.
This is a great section and I believe the same. Today's divorce rates are atrocious and it puts in perspective the blessings of marriage. Once they are married, it is no longer just themselves, but the other as well. They have created a life together and plan on sticking through no matter what hardships they encounter. I especially like the part about "enjoying the joys and sorrows of everyday life and to grow." Unlike many of the other sections that are somewhat controversial thinking, I think this one gives a perspective of what marriage and commitment is all about.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post because I wrote on the same topic for last weeks blog post. The last paragraph feels like you are reading my mind. Last week I mentioned the same thing because sometimes I feel that homosexual relationships that wish to be married may love each other an exceedingly amount more than a man and a woman. A second look at the amendment is not just wanted but NEEDED. Your post was great to read and it is nice to know others share the same opinions as me.
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