What is the canonical significance of consent in marriage?

• A. Consent is not necessary if there is love.
• B. Free and informed consent by both parties is essential for a valid marriage; lack of consent or coercion can render null.
• C. Consent alone by one party is sufficient.
• D. Consent of the church is the sole requirement.

Answer: (B)

Consent is what makes a marriage real in canon law. It is the free, mutual promise by a man and a woman to marry each other, entered into with the intention to live as husband and wife for life, faithfully, and open to children. This consent constitutes the matrimonial covenant that binds the spouses; without it, there is no valid marriage. If consent is not freely given—due to coercion, fear, or lack of capacity—the marriage is considered invalid (null). The idea isn’t that love alone creates a marriage or that one party’s consent suffices; nor is the church’s approval the sole requirement—the spouses themselves must freely give the essential consent for the bond to exist.