Does the Biblical Injunction Against Marriage with “Outsiders” (Ezra 9:1–2) Still Bind Catholics Today?

This publication marks yet another interdisciplinary contribution by the authors: a canon lawyer and a biblical theologian. They undertake a joint canonical and exegetical analysis of Ezra 9:1–2, reflecting on whether this passage might be counted among the biblical foundations that have informed the Catholic Church’s doctrine on mixed marriages and the diriment impediment arising from disparity of religion. Already, the title poses the research problem framed as a question, “Does the Biblical Injunction against Marriage with ‘Outsiders’ (Ezra 9:1–2) still Bind Catholics Today?” As a first step, the authors undertake an examination of the biblical pericope with a particular focus on the problem of intermarriage, contextualized within its historical setting and the reform initiated by Ezra. Special attention is given to Deuteronomy 7:3–4, which is considered a fundamental underpinning of Ezra’s position. Subsequently, the authors trace the historical evolution of the concepts of impedimentum disparitatis cultus and impedimentum mixtae religionis. The authors move on to discuss the contemporary teaching of the Catholic Church concerning mixed marriages and the granting of dispensations from the diriment impediment of disparity of cult. Particular attention is given to the prerequisites for obtaining the permission of the local ordinary and the aforesaid dispensation, nuanced from the perspective of the Catholic party and non-Catholic one. In the final section, the authors articulate the conclusions of their inquiry. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the study, their research methodology integrated scholarly sources from both biblical sciences and the canonical legal tradition.