The Clash between the Catholic and the Muslim Vision of Marriage – Fundamental Difficulties

Abstract

The article juxtaposes and contrasts the essence of marriage as understood by the Catholic Church and the Muslim concept of a relationship between a woman and a man. Its objective is to demonstrate whether it is possible to enter matrimony which would be fully compatible with canon law and Muslim law and to present the difficulties that tend to arise in such marriages. It argues that a Muslim may relate most of the attributes and objectives taught by the Catholic Church to the marriage bond, with the exception of honoring baptism and Catholic upbringing of his children. Muslim law stipulates that a Muslim’s children must be brought up in the faith of their father and urges the father to prevent the Christian mother from exercising any religious influence over their children. Although the Christian mother may obtain dispensation from the impediment of different faiths by, among other things, doing her best to baptize her children and to bring them up in her faith, in practice this is impossible because of the father’s legal obligation.