World of Spanish Marriage :Week 10

This week we talked about the institute of marriage and how the views of marriage today greatly differs from the views of marriage from the Spanish between the 15th to the 17th Centuries. During those times, marriage was viewed very seriously and sacred because it was something that God created so that man would not be alone. Therefore, Divorce was considered a sin since Spain was under the Catholic Church. This is why Divorce was rarely heard of and if so had to be proven through certain laws. One of these laws to prove that the marriage partner was impudent or that the two were related in a close matter. This would nullify the marriage because the marriage would be deemed not a holy marriage to begin with in the first place. However, for instance if the woman could not prove that the marriage was not a holy marriage, she could decide to enter the nunnery and vice versa for the man to enter the monastery. Also these laws were also there to protect women from being taken of from men that only wanted to marry them for just sexual reason. If a man married a woman just for just sexual reason and left the woman , would have to face a judge for this act. For this act would compare to how in today’s culture if a man fathered a child would have to go to court to face having to pay child support to the woman.

Overall, marriage was viewed as a sacred bond between two people that honor this bond and understood the importance of such an act. However, if one or both of the partners wanted to leave the marriage, there were laws placed that could help one or both of partners escape an unholy marriage. Also there were laws for people that took advantage of marriage and if found out would have to face charges and be seen as committing a sin within their community .