NIEWAŻNOŚĆ MAŁŻEŃSTWA Z POWODU BRAKU WYSTARCZAJĄCEGO UŻYWANIA ROZUMU NA PRZYKŁADZIE WYBRANYCH SPRAW SĄDU BISKUPIEGO DIECEZJI EŁCKIEJ

Catholic Church instructs, that „a marriage that is ratum et consummatum can be dissolved by no human power and by no cause, except death” (Can. 1141). However there are some cases, when marriage has not come into being from its start. Church tribunals lead investigations in such cases to show the truth about the marriage. Canon 1095 gives three conditions that would make a person unable to contract marriage from mental incapacity: “They are incapable of contracting marriage: 1o who lack the sufficient use of reason; 2o who suffer from grave lack of discretion of judgment concerning essential matrimonial rights and duties which are to be mutually given and accepted; 3o who are not capable of assuming the essential obligations of matrimony due to causes of a psychic nature”. Regarding the use of reason, the Church is saying that a person must have sufficient development of their faculties of intellect and will to be able to judge and to will a truly human act. This is the most basic level of intellectual maturity, but one not found in small children, or in adults who suffer from conditions which affect their powers of reasoning. It takes a pretty grave permanent or transitory condition, however, such as schizophrenia, or alcoholic stupor, to invalidate marriage for lack of reason. The article aims at presenting a reason for invalidity of marriage which is lack of sufficient use of reason as exemplified by the diocesan tribunal of Elk