Vigil of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles

The Catholic Church teaches that large families reflect God's blessings and parental generosity, emphasizing the beauty of welcoming children into the world. Couples facing infertility often experience deep sorrow, mirroring biblical figures like Abraham and Rachel who longed for children. While research to help overcome sterility is encouraged, it must respect human dignity and the sanctity of marriage. Techniques that separate the marital act from procreation, such as artificial insemination involving third parties, are morally unacceptable as they undermine the unity and rights of parents and children. Ultimately, a child is a precious gift, not a possession, and couples should embrace the potential for spiritual growth through their struggles, possibly through adoption or service to others, aligning their hearts with God's will.

Adultery is a serious breach of marital fidelity: when at least one person is married to someone else, sexual relations—even transient ones—constitute adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of desire, and the Catechism notes that the prophets saw adultery as an image of idolatry. It injures the marriage covenant, violates the rights of a spouse, weakens the institution of marriage, and compromises the welfare of children, who need their parents’ stable union. Christ reaffirmed the Creator’s intention that marriage be indissoluble; between baptized persons, a ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power except death. In some cases, spouses may legitimately separate while the marriage bond remains, and civil divorce may be tolerated when it is the only way to protect legal rights, provide for children, or safeguard an inheritance. Yet divorce itself is a grave offense and can bring serious disorder and harm to spouses, children, families, and society. The Catechism also recognizes that a spouse who is unjustly abandoned through civil divorce may be an innocent victim and has not thereby violated the moral law. For Catholic families, these teachings call us to cherish marital fidelity, the enduring marriage bond, and the stable union that serves spouses and children.