To deal with the problem in a clear and balanced way, it is necessary to bear in mind the principle that
juridical significance is not juxtaposed as something foreign to the
interpersonal reality of marriage, but constitutes
a truly intrinsic dimension of it. Relations between the spouses, in fact, like those between parents and children, are constitutively
relations of justice, and for that reason have in themselves
juridical significance. Married and parent-child love is not merely an instinctive inclination, nor an arbitrary and reversible choice, but
is rather a love that is due. Therefore, putting the person at the center of the civility of love does not exclude the law, but instead demands it, leading to a rediscovery of law as an interpersonal reality and to a vision of juridical institutions that highlights their constitutive link with persons themselves, which is so essential in the case of marriage and the family.
On these subjects the magisterium goes well beyond the mere juridical dimension, but it does keep it constantly in mind. As a result, a preeminent source for understanding and correctly applying canonical marriage law is the Church’s same magisterium, which is responsible for authentically interpreting the word of God concerning this reality (see
Dei Verbum, no. 10), including its juridical aspects. The canonical norms are only the
juridical expression of an underlying
anthropological and theological reality, and we must be in constant touch with this reality if we are to avoid the risk of facile interpretations. The guarantee of certitude, in the structure of the People of God as communion, is offered by the living Magisterium of the Pastors.