The teaching of Vatican II. This represents a change of perspective. Some of the major points are:

i) There is a shift from the juridical to the more personalistic concept of marriage 'Contract gives way to the more biblical 'covenant '. "The intimate partnership(foedus=covenant) of life and the love which constitutes the married state is rooted in their irrevocable personal consenr" .

ii) Conjugal love is the concrete essence of Christian marriage , reflecting as it does the covenantal love of Christ for his Church. " He abides with them in order that by their mutual self- giving spouses will love each other with enduring fidelity as he loved the Church and delivered himself for it ".

iii) The terminology of primary and secondary ends is abandoned and the values of marriage are listed without any hierarchical preference.

iv) The sacramentally of marriage is not something added to the marriage union established through human love.. "Authentic married love is taken up into divine love and is ruled and enriched by the redemptive power of Christ and the action of the Church".

v) There is an emphasis on the necessity of faith commitment for the sacrament of marriage. Marriage is  not just between baptized Christians, but between Christifidelies, faithful Christians. All these elements are reflected in the introduction to the New Rite of Marriage.