Infertility.

[Spem in alium]

Today in theology class we were talking about infertility, and I just wanted to clarify something.

Does the church have any specific ruling or teaching regarding two people who get married with the knowledge that one of them is infertile?

Some people thought there was an issue. My prof wasn't entirely sure on what official teaching is, so I just wanted to get the facts

[CatherineM]

Infertile couples can marry. Otherwise, the church couldn't marry people over a certain age. So long as a couple is able to consummate the marriage, they are "open to life" even if they aren't physically capable of conceiving.

If a party knows they are infertile and do not tell their fiancé, that can be grounds for annulment. It is a serious issue, and if you are expecting to start a family, you have the right to know. If it is an unknown infertility, that's no one's fault.

Another issue is where the infertility is self induced. You may repent from the self mutilation, but that doesn't fix the issue. Many couples are going to the expensive and pain of having vasectomies or tubal legations reversed. Some churches raise money for people to reverse those as a ministry. It's not required though, but again, if you are preparing to get married, you need to inform your pastor and your fiancé.

[cappie]

CatherineM is correct. Just 2 cents: There never has been anything preventing infertile couples from getting married, and there never will be (see Canon Law [url="http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P3Y.HTM"]1084§3[/url]).[b]"[/b][b]Without prejudice to the provisions of can. 1098, sterility neither forbids nor invalidates a marriage."[/b] (Can. 1098 A person contracts invalidly who enters marriage inveigled by deceit, perpetrated in order to secure consent, concerning some quality of the other party, which of its very nature can seriously disrupt the partnership of conjugal life.)