Fidelity as an Essential Feature of a Marital Covenant And the Chaplaincy of Families

Ks. Jerzy KułaczkowskiMarriage is a relationship understood as a covenant. It is a voluntary agreement of two parties, whose contracting motive is love seen as complete and mutual dedication. Marriage has its privileges and obligations. The most important of these obligations is maintaining marital fidelity and for this reason adultery means breaking up the covenant. Its most common cause is covetousness understood as incapability of controlling sex drive. Thus, adultery expresses itself not only in external actions but also in a spiritual attitude of man. Sociological research results have demonstrated that realization of theological model of marital covenant diverge from the teachings of the Catholic Church. This concerns especially the problem of fidelity. Drawbacks and deficiencies in this area require actions that aim at better realization of traditional model of marriage. From the point of view of family chaplaincy, it is necessary to strive after reviving the idea of marriage as a covenant. It can be achieved through teaching about divine origins of marriage, demonstrating all aspects of marital love and supporting spouses in maintaining mutual fidelity.Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie913815