The truth about marriage

Pope Benedict’s message in his Sunday Angelus was that God is the author of marriage.

The Holy Father based his remarks on the day’s Gospel, citing the words of Christ: “What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Underlining the divine origin of the marital bond, he encouraged Christian couples to live out their vows fully, acknowledging the challenges involved in maintaining a union that is “open to life,” and survives “in sickness and in health” over the years.

At the same time he stressed that governments do not have the right to alter God’s plan. “The truth about marriage goes back to the beginning of Creation,” the Pope said. Public officials, he said, have an obligation to protect the family, based on marriage, which is the fundamental block of every society. 

Benedict is a back to basics Pope. But some people may be confronting the basics for the first time through his words. And the fact that they’re non-negotiable.