There was a bit of a kerfuffle last week regarding Jacob Rees-Mogg’s view on same-sex marriage. He is opposed but effectively said that it wasn’t up to him to decide: ‘I take the teachings of the Catholic Church seriously. Marriage is a sacrament and the decision of what is a sacrament lies with the Church not with Parliament.’
And yet, marriage is, self-evidently, defined by Parliament. It has a precise definition in law and that definition has been extended to include people in homosexual relationships. It has been extended to permit people who have been previously married and divorced to re-marry, despite religious objections. It is also restricted to people over the age of 16 and it is prohibited for relatives closer than first cousins. Adultery is defined in law (though only for heterosexual relationships), as are the other permitted causes for seeking a divorce. The tax and inheritance situation is different for married people, as is entitlement to a spouse’s pension following their death.
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