Section 1. Vow.

561. Declaration. 1. Vow is understood as one which is immediately or mediately opposed to matrimony, because it induces an obligation which cannot be composed with the matrimonial state. Five vows of this kind are impedient of matrimony: a. the vow of not marrying, or of celibacy; b. the vow of virginity; c. the simple vow of perfect chastity; d. the vow of entering religion; e. the vow of receiving sacred orders. These vows do not dirimently impede matrimony, as is clear from law;¹ nevertheless they impede matrimony because the matrimonial state cannot be composed with their obligation.

The last two vows are mediately opposed to matrimony; immediately they oblige to taking up a state which then induces the obligation of perfect and perpetual chastity. The first three are immediately opposed to matrimony, but in a diverse way. For one vowing celibacy formally promises not to contract matrimony; one vowing chastity promises to abstain from every venereal delectation, whether illicit or licit in matrimony. There are those who distinguish the vow of virginity from the vow of celibacy, and if we regard the force of the terms, they rightly and deservedly do so; for one vowing virginity properly and strictly promises to abstain from the first act by which virginity is lost. But in practice this distinction is of scarcely any moment; for those who desire to remain virgins by vow vow either celibacy or chastity.

In practice it can sometimes be difficult to discern whether someone emitted a vow of not marrying, or of celibacy or virginity, or rather a vow of chastity. To discern the matter, the one vowing must be asked what he or she promised to God and with what intention the vow was emitted; for if that person emitted the vow with this intention, that, free from the burdens of matrimony, he or she could serve God more easily and perfectly, celibacy is judged to have been vowed; but if the vow was emitted from love of purity, chastity is rather judged to have been vowed.

2. He who, bound by any of these vows, contracts matrimony sins gravely; for the Church forbids contracting matrimony with any of them, because the one having the vow either renders the fulfillment of it impossible for himself, or at least exposes himself to the danger of violating the vow, or deceives the other party and therefore inflicts injury on that party. Therefore, in order that he can enter matrimony licitly, he must first seek dispensation from the vow.

a. The contracting party sins gravely: one having the vow of not marrying sins gravely by contracting matrimony, because by contracting he acts directly against the vow. One having the vow of virginity sins directly against the vow in the first conjugal act by which virginity is lost; but by contracting he sins both because he has the will of consummating matrimony, and because he renders the observance of the vow impossible for himself, because he hands over to the other party the right of demanding the debt. One having the vow of chastity does not act directly against the vow by contracting; nevertheless he sins gravely, because he has the will of consummating the matrimony and because he renders fulfillment of the vow impossible for himself, because he hands over the right of demanding the debt. One having the vow of entering an order sins by contracting, both because he has the will of consummating matrimony, which is indirectly and secondarily repugnant to the vow, and because he exposes himself to the danger of injuring the vow or deceiving the other party. One having the vow of receiving sacred orders sins gravely by contracting, because he renders fulfillment of the vow impossible for himself.

b. There are two cases, but very rare ones, in which one contracting while bound by any of these vows does not sin. One having the vow of virginity, chastity, or entering an order does not sin if he or she has the firm purpose, before consummation of the matrimony, of entering a religious order after dispensation has been accepted, Cn. 542, 1; but unless that person warns the other party concerning this matter, he or she sins gravely by deceiving the party. One having the vow of virginity or chastity does not sin if each party consents to preserving virginity and chastity in marriage; this, however, is rarely permitted because of great dangers of sinning.

To what is one held who, bound by one of these vows, has contracted matrimony? In general it must be said that he or she is released from the vow to that extent to which observance has been made impossible, but is held to the observance of the vow insofar as it can still be observed without prejudice to the other party, unless dispensation has been obtained. And ordinarily it must indeed be counseled that the obligation of the vow be entirely removed through dispensation, because of great dangers of sinning.

¹ Cn. 1058, 1.