Article Four. On the Dissolution of Betrothals.

541. How They Can Be Dissolved. Betrothals are a contract dissoluble by its own nature, since neither divine law, as in matrimony, nor human law, as in religious profession, requires their perpetuity. Betrothals can be dissolved in two ways: either by law itself on the part of each party, or by the will of one party to whom a just cause of withdrawing is given. Therefore now the causes by which betrothals are dissolved by law itself on each side must be indicated, and the causes which excuse one party from fulfilling the promise or grant that party the faculty of rescinding the betrothals.

Since valid betrothals now exercise their force only before God and in conscience, but confer no right of action for urging the celebration of matrimony, those things which follow here will be useful only to pastors and confessors. But it will be clear that the causes which excuse from fulfilling the promise are so various that a pastor of souls can rarely urge the obligation of contracting matrimony if one or the other party wishes to withdraw from the betrothals.