The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled that all member states must recognize same-sex marriages legally contracted in other countries, even if not valid under their own laws. The CJEU clarified that while the regulation of these unions remains a state responsibility, all EU countries must recognize the fundamental rights associated with them, such as the right to private and family life. The ruling stems from a case involving a Polish same-sex couple who married in Germany and were denied recognition in Poland. Almost half of the EU member states have not legalized same-sex marriage. The Catholic Church maintains its position that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman.
12 days ago
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a ruling on November 25, 2025, mandating that all EU member states recognize same-sex marriages legally performed in another member state, even if not valid domestically.1 2 3
This decision stems from a case involving a Polish same-sex couple who married in Germany in 2018 but faced refusal to register their union upon returning to Poland.1 2 3
The court emphasized that while individual states retain authority over regulating such unions, they must uphold fundamental rights like private and family life, and freedom of residence.1 2 3
Nearly half of EU countries do not legalize same-sex marriage, including Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Romania.1 2 3
The ruling compels these nations to acknowledge rights from foreign same-sex unions, potentially overriding local laws on registration and benefits.1 2 3
No immediate enforcement mechanisms were detailed, but the decision applies uniformly across the EU to ensure cross-border consistency.1 2 3
The Catholic Church maintains that marriage is exclusively between one man and one woman, as reaffirmed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, on November 25, 2025, during the launch of the document "Una Caro (One Flesh): In Praise of Monogamy."1 2 3
Pope Leo XIV echoed this in an earlier Vatican address, stating that "the family is founded on the stable union between a man and a woman."1 2 3
This position aligns with longstanding Church teaching, viewing such unions as ordered toward spousal good and procreation.1 2 3
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes marriage as a lifelong partnership between a man and a woman, inherently linked to the education of offspring.1 2 3
The Church has upheld this doctrine consistently through history, contrasting with the EU's evolving legal framework on personal rights.1 2 3
Articles from Catholic outlets highlight the ruling as a challenge to traditional family values, without noting secular counterperspectives.1 2 3
Examine the Catholic Church’s doctrine on marriage versus EU legal obligations
The Catholic Church's doctrine on marriage presents it as a sacred, irrevocable covenant between one man and one woman, ordered toward mutual love, fidelity, and the procreation and education of children. This understanding, rooted in divine law and elevated to a sacrament by Christ, inherently conflicts with secular legal frameworks, such as those in the European Union (EU), where civil laws often recognize diverse unions including same-sex marriages and civil partnerships. While the Church respects the dignity of all persons, it maintains that no civil authority can redefine marriage in ways that contradict its essential nature, as outlined in magisterial teachings. This analysis draws on key Catholic documents to explore the doctrine and its implications for legal obligations in pluralistic societies like the EU.
At its core, the Church teaches that marriage is a divine institution, established by God as an intimate partnership of life and love between a man and a woman. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) emphasizes that this covenant is founded by the Creator and governed by His laws, making it naturally ordered to the good of the spouses and the generation of children. Christ Himself raised marriage among the baptized to the dignity of a sacrament, underscoring its unbreakable bond: "Thus the marriage bond has been established by God himself in such a way that a marriage concluded and consummated between baptized persons can never be dissolved." This indissolubility arises from the free consent of the spouses and their consummation, creating an irrevocable reality guaranteed by God's fidelity. The Church lacks the authority to dissolve this bond, as it contravenes divine wisdom.
Furthermore, the spouses give themselves totally and definitively to one another, forming "one flesh" in a unique and indissoluble union. Echoing Scripture, the CCC quotes Jesus: "What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." This teaching rejects any human attempt—legal or otherwise—to sever the marital bond, positioning marriage as a lifelong commitment that mirrors Christ's unbreakable love for the Church. In contrast to temporary or conditional civil arrangements, Catholic marriage demands perpetual fidelity, with the covenant imposing an obligation to preserve its exclusivity.
Catholic doctrine integrates the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage as inseparable. Conjugal love, as a gift from God, naturally tends toward fruitfulness: "A child does not come from outside as something added on to the mutual love of the spouses, but springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment." Every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life, reflecting the "inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance." This principle, reiterated by the Magisterium, upholds marriage's role in building society through stable families.
Recent doctrinal notes reinforce monogamy as the exclusive form of this union. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's "Una caro: In Praise of Monogamy" (2025) celebrates marriage as an "exclusive union and mutual belonging," dynamic yet faithful, growing through grace rather than dissolving under pressure. It counters cultural trends toward non-monogamous or redefined relationships, insisting that true unity in marriage deepens over time, as spouses "experience the sense of their own unity and achieve it ever increasingly fully." This vision stands firm against any erosion of marriage's exclusivity, whether through polygamy or other forms, emphasizing its foundation in God's plan for human complementarity.
The Church's doctrine extends to civil laws, cautioning against legal recognitions that equate non-sacramental unions with marriage. Regarding homosexual unions, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has consistently taught that respect for homosexual persons does not extend to approving their behavior or granting legal equivalence to their unions. In "Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons" (2003), the CDF states that such recognition would redefine marriage, stripping it of its essential link to heterosexuality, procreation, and child-rearing, thus harming the common good. Legal parity "would obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity," as marriage is the foundation of the family and society.
Catholic politicians and lawmakers bear a moral duty to oppose such legislation publicly, as voting in favor is "gravely immoral." The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (2004) echoes this, arguing that homosexual unions lack the complementarity and fruitfulness inherent to marriage between a man and a woman: "It is only in the union of two sexually different persons that the individual can achieve perfection in a synthesis of unity and mutual psychophysical completion." Respect for dignity calls for chastity, not legitimization of behaviors contrary to moral law or equivalence to family structures. Civil authorities that tolerate or promote these unions act arbitrarily, contradicting justice by discriminating against true marriage.
On de facto or cohabiting unions, the Pontifical Council for the Family's document (2000) warns that granting them juridical status equivalent to marriage violates justice: "Equality before the law must respect the principle of justice which means treating equals equally, and what is different differently." Such equivalency discriminates against marriage-based families, signaling a breakdown in moral conscience and the common good.
Documents like "Fiducia Supplicans" (2023) and related press releases clarify pastoral approaches without altering doctrine. While simple blessings for individuals in irregular situations express closeness without endorsing unions, the Church remains firm: no liturgical rite can validate unions contradicting marriage's definition as "the exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children." Blessings do not confer moral legitimacy on extra-marital practices or same-sex unions. The CDF's 2021 Responsum explicitly deems illicit any blessing that acknowledges such unions as such.
While the provided sources do not directly address EU-specific laws, they offer a universal framework applicable to civil obligations in member states. The EU promotes equality and non-discrimination, with many countries (e.g., 16 as of 2023) legalizing same-sex marriage and the rest recognizing civil unions, often under directives like the Charter of Fundamental Rights (Articles 9 and 21). These frameworks mandate recognition of diverse partnerships for rights such as inheritance, adoption, and benefits, potentially requiring public institutions—including those with Catholic affiliations—to comply.
From the Church's perspective, such obligations create profound tension. Civil laws cannot override divine law; the CDF's teachings apply directly, viewing EU-style recognitions as harmful to the common good by equating incompatible unions with marriage. For instance, proposals for legal equivalence, as critiqued in the 2003 Considerations, mirror EU trends where homosexual unions receive marital-like status, including adoption rights—outcomes the Church deems contrary to children's welfare and societal stability. Catholic entities, like schools or hospitals, may face compliance pressures, but doctrine prioritizes fidelity to marriage's sacramental nature over secular mandates. The Church advocates dialogue and respect for persons but insists on defending marriage's uniqueness, even amid legal pluralism. Where sources fall short on EU details, they remain relevant by addressing civil authorities' roles universally, urging moral opposition without hatred.
In practice, this versus manifests in conscientious objection: Catholics may resist participating in ceremonies or policies that redefine marriage, guided by the principle that human law must align with natural and divine law.
The Catholic Church's doctrine on marriage—indissoluble, monogamous, unitive, and procreative—stands as a timeless bulwark against redefinitions that dilute its essence. Sources like the CCC and CDF documents affirm this without compromise, highlighting conflicts with EU legal obligations that prioritize equality through recognition of same-sex and de facto unions. While the Church calls for pastoral mercy and respect for all, it urges faithful witness to marriage's truth for the good of individuals and society. In navigating these tensions, Catholics are invited to live the sacrament authentically, trusting in God's grace to sustain fidelity amid cultural shifts.