“From Contract to Covenant”: What was valid yesterday is “invalid” today?
Thursday, February 3rd, 2005I’m rather suspicious of the idea, presented in this Catholic Exchange article, that the glory of Vatican II’s marital theology was its rescinding a contractual model in favor of a “covenantal” one — and, consequently, the advancement of the notion of “partnership” in place of a hierarchy which is clearly delineated in the passages from Ephesians V the article cites [it is so concerned with delegitimizing the notion that St. Paul's words justify domestic violence, abuse, and/or tyranny (fair enough) that it neglects to even address the question of whether under the new conception any hierarchy between the spouses exists], alongside advancing “the good of the spouses” as equal in importance with procreation as fundamental ends of marriage [again, in a clear deviation from traditional theology, which holds procreation as primary end, the good of the spouses and the allaying of concupiscence as subordinate ends].