Selected Issues Connected with Catholic Marital Law in the Light of Emigration in Multicultural Europe

Abstract

The phenomenon of migration, which has had its strong presence in Polish society since 2005, has become a pastoral issue. Polish Catholics meet individuals of different nationality, culture or religion, entering various relationships with them, including getting married and establishing a family. Regardless of these differences, every person is a subject of natural law, which the Magisterium of the Catholic Church interprets in an authentic way. Hence, every person concluding his or her marriage, regardless of professed faith, should accept the fundamental goals and attributes of marriage that derive from natural law. For positive law as well as marital law, the principle „salus animarum suprema lex simper esse debet” is crucial, therefore marital law of the Catholic Church permits the possibility of obtaining a dispensation from such obstacles as different religions or different canon forms of concluding marriage. Relevant marital law must be observed also by the non-Catholic party to marriage provided that such law does not contradict God’s Law. Additionally, the validity of baptism must be carefully examined. The latest documents of the Church indicate a marked discrepancy between the Catholic and Muslim conception of marriage.