| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| RE: marriage | sandy | Thursday, September 9, 2004 |
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius, I was viewing a program that a friend recorded for me about Hermaphrodities ( born with both male and female genitals ) I was wondering who is to say what a human being is in that instance? That plays a very big role in life later on. What if the wrong sex is chosen??? I know that more then often the decision is made by the doctor and the parents. But in all of this do we have the right to make such an assumption on behalf of the child??? Some of them were incapable of bearing children or even felt as though they were male more then the female they were subject to being due to a decision they had not made themselves. Thus, the need for sex change in their life. Many could not get married in the church due to this alteration. It is very rare but a true fact nonetheless. The church does not agree with homosexual marriages in case a sex change has been made. But many went through a sex change when they were very young never finding out until later they were older and married with kids. Then what is teh marriage still valibale?? There seemed to be a lot of confusion about the subject and the way people react. Is there anything about the subject in the documents of the church regarding this state of life? QUOTE " A single person, man or woman, who is permanently impotent and thus physically incapable of having sexual intercourse may not get married." "Sterility is the inability to produce children for whatever reasons. Pregnancy does not occur Permanent impotency is the inability to perform sexual intercourse at all. " Could this case, mentioned above, fit into that category of permanent impotancy since many of them due to malformation of the gemitals or to the fact that they have both genitals can not give birth or have sexual intercourse? Thank you very much for your shared knowledge. :-) May God bless you always in your work. Sandy |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+
Dear Sandy: I know of no official teaching by the Church regarding hermaphroditism as it occurs in human beings. The most likely reason for this is the problem of distinquishing between true and pseudo hermaphrodites with reference to all of their external and internal sexual components. Therefore the Church must treat such cases individually. It is doubtful if there has ever been a true and perfect hermaphrodite. In all known cases one or the other sex predominates. The decision of parents and doctors would be based upon this fact and thus it is unlikely that a "mistake" would be made on which sex the person really is meant to be. Such decisions are not made arbitrarily as if the parents can just decide which they want, a boy or a girl. At least that is not the way such decisions are suppose to be made. Rather the total picture of the person's external and internal organs as well as psychological tendencies are evaluated in deciding what is to be done. As for marriage, if the person is capable of sexual intercourse, then they can validly marry regardless of whether or not they are sterile. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum
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