Consensus mutus

triennium.
FROM THE S. CONGR. OF THE HOLY ROMAN AND UNIVERSAL INQUISITION

DECREE by which it is established that carnal union supervening upon espousals is no longer to be held, by presumption of law, to constitute a conjugal contract, nor henceforth to be recognized as a legitimate marriage in those places where clandestine marriages are held to be valid. Mutual consent, from which just marriages arise, can be made manifest and declared not only by words, but also by other external signs. Wherefore Alexander III (1), Innocent III (2), and Gregory IX (3), Our predecessors, rightly decreed that carnal union, if valid and certain espousals of the future had preceded it, should be held both in court and outside court for a true marriage, unless a canonical impediment stood in the way. And they willed that such strength should reside in this presumption of law that it itself would establish and sanction the right firmly, and would admit no proof to the contrary. Then, when clandestine marriages, that is, those contracted without the presence of the Parochial Priest and two or three witnesses, were ordered by the Council of Trent (4) to be null and void, that ancient right, as was necessary, ceased to have force wherever the Tridentine law had been promulgated or received by custom and usage. But in those places where it does not prevail, it has always been the judgment of the Apostolic See that the canons which We have indicated remained ratified and

DECREE

1 firm. But in the course of ages, from the conscience and knowledge of Christians, these have gradually faded away. For many Bishops from those regions in which clandestine marriages, though contracted contrary to law, are nevertheless judged to be valid, when asked not long ago what the people seemed to think on this matter, plainly reported that the canonical discipline concerning presumed marriages had everywhere fallen into disuse and been obliterated by forgetfulness: wherefore it scarcely or hardly ever happens that union between the espoused is held to be with marital affection and not fornicatory: and that it is held by common opinion of men not to be the use of legitimate marriage, but the sin of fornication: indeed, the people can scarcely be persuaded that espousals of the future pass into marriage through carnal union. For these reasons and causes, by the counsel of Our Venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Inquisitors General in matters of faith, We by this Our Decree abrogate and abolish the aforesaid canons and all other dispositions of canon law concerning this matter, even those worthy of special mention, and We will that they be held as abolished and abrogated, and as if they had never been issued. At the same time by these letters of Ours We decree and command that henceforth in those places in which clandestine marriages are held to be valid, by any ecclesiastical judges in whose forum such matrimonial cases may come to be tried and judged, carnal union supervening upon espousals shall no longer be held by presumption of law to constitute a conjugal contract, nor shall it be recognized or declared as a legitimate marriage. By the authority of this Decree, however, We do not wish to impose the necessity of observing the Tridentine form for the validity of marriage, where that form does not now prevail. Given at Rome at St. Peter's on 15 February 1892, in the fourteenth year of Our Pontificate.

2 LEO PP. XIII.

Machine translation, not reviewed. The original text is authoritative.

Latin text

triennium.
EX S. CONGR. S. R. U. INQUISITIONIS

DECRETUM quo statuitur, copulam carnalem, sponsalibus supervenientem, non amplius censeri, ex praesumptione iuris, contractum coniugalem, nec agnosci deinceps pro legitimo matrimonio illis in locis, quibus coniugia clandestina pro validis habentur, Consensus mutuus, unde matrimonia iusta nascuntur, non verbis dumtaxat, sed aliis quoque signis exterioribus patefieri ac declarari potest. Quamobrem Alexander III (1), Innocentius III (2), et Gregorius IX (3), decessores Nostri, merito decreverunt ut carnalis copula, si sponsalia de futuro certa ac valida praecessissent, cum in iudicio tum extra iudicium pro vero coniugio haberetur, nisi impedimentum canonicum obstitisset. Et in hac iuris praesumptione tantum roboris inesse voluerunt, ut firmum ipsa statueret sanciretque ius, nec probationem contrariam ullam admitteret. Deinde vero matrimonia clandestina, id est non praesente Parocho et duobus tribusve testibus inita, quum Concilium Tridentinum (4) irrita infectaque esse iussisset, ius illud priscum, ut erat necesse, valere desiit ubicumque promulgata vel moribus usuque recepta Tridentina lex. Quibus autem illa locis non viget, in iis semper Apostolicae Sedis iudicium fuit, canones, quos indicavimus, ratos atque

DECRETUM

1 firmos permansisse. Sed aetatum decursu, ex conscientia et cognitione christianorum sensim effluxere. Plures enim Episcopi ex iis regionibus, in quibus matrimonia clandestina contra fas quidem inita, sed tamen valida iudicantur, haud ita pridem rogati, quid populus ea de re sentire videretur, plane retulerunt, canonicam de coniugiis praesumptis disciplinam passim exolevisse desuetudine atque oblivione deletam : propterea vix aut ne vix quidem contingere, ut copula inter sponsos affectu maritali nec fornicario habeatur: eamque non matrimonii legitimi usum, sed fornicationis peccatum communi hominum opinione existimari : imo vix persuaden populo posse, sponsalia de futuro per coniunctionem carnalem in matrimonium transire. His igitur rebus et causis, de consilio Venerabilium Fratrum Nostrorum S. R. E. Cardinalium, in rebus fidei Inquisiturum generalium, supra memoratos canones et alias quascumque iuris canonici ea de re dispositiones, etiam speciali mentione dignas, per hoc Decretum Nostrum abrogamus et abolemus, et pro abolitis et abrogatis, ac si nunquam prodiissent, haberi volumus. Simul per has litteras Nostras decernimus ac mandamus, ut deinceps illis in locis in quibus coniugia clandestina pro validis habentur, a quibusvis iudicibus ecclesiasticis, in quorum foro causas eiusmodi matrimoniales agitari et iudicari contigerit, copula carnalis sponsalibus superveniens non amplius ex iuris praesumptione coniugalis contractus censeatur, nec pro legitimo matrimonio agnoscatur seu declaretur. Huius tamen auctoritate Decreti induci nolumus necessitatem formae Tridentinae servandae ad matrimonii validitatem, ubi illa forma modo non viget. Datum Romae apud S. Petrum die 15 Februarii 1892, Pontificatus Nostri anno decimo quarto.

2 LEO PP. XIII.

Acta Sanctae Sedis 24 (1891-92), pp. 441-442 (Holy See scan, OCR text, restored to continuous text (page breaks, hyphenation, running heads, footnotes)). Source: vatican.va (ASS scan).

Italian text

triennio.
EX S. CONGR. S. R. U. INQUISITIONIS

DECRETUM quo statuitur, copulam carnalem, sponsalibus supervenientem, non amplius censeri, ex praesumptione iuris, contractum coniugalem, nec agnosci deinceps pro legitimo matrimonio illis in locis, quibus coniugia clandestina pro validis habentur, Consensus mutuus, unde matrimonia iusta nascuntur, non verbis dumtaxat, sed aliis quoque signis exterioribus patefieri ac declarari potest. Quamobrem Alexander III (1), Innocentius III (2), et Gregorius IX (3), decessores Nostri, merito decreverunt ut carnalis copula, si sponsalia de futuro certa ac valida praecessissent, cum in iudicio tum extra iudicium pro vero coniugio haberetur, nisi impedimentum canonicum obstitisset. Et in hac iuris praesumptione tantum roboris inesse voluerunt, ut firmum ipsa statueret sanciretque ius, nec probationem contrariam ullam admitteret. Deinde vero matrimonia clandestina, id est non praesente Parocho et duobus tribusve testibus inita, quum Concilium Tridentinum (4) irrita infectaque esse iussisset, ius illud priscum, ut erat necesse, valere desiit ubicumque promulgata vel moribus usuque recepta Tridentina lex. Quibus autem illa locis non viget, in iis semper Apostolicae Sedis iudicium fuit, canones, quos indicavimus, ratos atque

DECRETUM

1 firmos permansisse. Sed aetatum decursu, ex conscientia et cognitione christianorum sensim effluxere. Plures enim Episcopi ex iis regionibus, in quibus matrimonia clandestina contra fas quidem inita, sed tamen valida iudicantur, haud ita pridem rogati, quid populus ea de re sentire videretur, plane retulerunt, canonicam de coniugiis praesumptis disciplinam passim exolevisse desuetudine atque oblivione deletam : propterea vix aut ne vix quidem contingere, ut copula inter sponsos affectu maritali nec fornicario habeatur: eamque non matrimonii legitimi usum, sed fornicationis peccatum communi hominum opinione existimari : imo vix persuaden populo posse, sponsalia de futuro per coniunctionem carnalem in matrimonium transire. His igitur rebus et causis, de consilio Venerabilium Fratrum Nostrorum S. R. E. Cardinalium, in rebus fidei Inquisiturum generalium, supra memoratos canones et alias quascumque iuris canonici ea de re dispositiones, etiam speciali mentione dignas, per hoc Decretum Nostrum abrogamus et abolemus, et pro abolitis et abrogatis, ac si nunquam prodiissent, haberi volumus. Simul per has litteras Nostras decernimus ac mandamus, ut deinceps illis in locis in quibus coniugia clandestina pro validis habentur, a quibusvis iudicibus ecclesiasticis, in quorum foro causas eiusmodi matrimoniales agitari et iudicari contigerit, copula carnalis sponsalibus superveniens non amplius ex iuris praesumptione coniugalis contractus censeatur, nec pro legitimo matrimonio agnoscatur seu declaretur. Huius tamen auctoritate Decreti induci nolumus necessitatem formae Tridentinae servandae ad matrimonii validitatem, ubi illa forma modo non viget. Dato a Roma presso San Pietro il 15 febbraio 1892, del Nostro Pontificato anno quattordicesimo.

2 LEO PP. XIII.

Machine translation, not reviewed. The original text is authoritative.