Sect. 128Production of the First Woman—the Essence of MarriageProduction of the First Woman—the Essence of Marriage

I. The words in Gen. 1:27, “Male and female He created them,” are sufficient proof that the distinction of sexes and the corresponding organization of the human body were, from the very beginning, intended by the Creator as belonging to the concrete constitution of human nature. This further implies that the distinction of sexes is a natural good, given by God as means to the end expressed in Gen. 1:28: “Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth.” It is not, therefore, as some heretics have asserted, the lesser of two evils, permitted or ordained by the Creator in order to avoid a greater one. Again, from the text (Gen. 1:27), “To the image of God He created them; male and female He created them,” it clearly appears that the sexual distinction constitutes merely a difference in the nature of man and not a difference of nature.

II. Considered externally and materially, the distinction of sexes is common to man and animals. The sexual relations of man, however, are of a much higher order than those of animals. Their object in man is the production, with a special Divine co-operation, of a new “image of God.” This higher consideration is, according to the sense of Holy Writ and generally received opinion, the reason why man and woman were not, like the animals of different sexes, created at the same time and from the same earth. The creation of Eve, so fully and solemnly described (Gen. 2), evidently has a far-reaching significance, acknowledged by Adam himself and confirmed by the explanations given in the New Testament (Matt. 19:4); yet, in the first and primary sense, it refers to the sexual relations of man.

III. The formation of the first woman out of a rib of the first man, indicates that God intended to give to the union of man and woman a higher unity than that of the male and female of animals, a unity in keeping with the Divine images existing in the parents and in their offspring. Thus the production of Eve founded the diversity of sexes, but also laid down the constitution of the ordinary principle of propagation. We arrive at this conclusion (1) from the effects of the Divine act itself, and (2) from the Divine command expressed in the act, a law which determines the moral essence of the first and of all other marriages.

Before we proceed to demonstrate this, we give the full text upon which the demonstration is based. “And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone: let Us make him a help like unto [meet for or answering to] himself. And the Lord God having formed out of the ground all the beasts of the earth, and all the fowls of the air, brought them to Adam to see what he would call them: for whatsoever Adam called any living creature, the same is its name. And Adam called all the beasts by their names, and all the fowls of the air, and all the cattle of the field: but for Adam there was not found a helper like himself. Then the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon Adam: and when he was fast asleep, He took one of his ribs, and filled up flesh for it. And the Lord God built the rib which he took from Adam into a woman [“And He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man builded He into a woman,” R.V.]: and brought her to Adam. And Adam said: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh” (Gen. 2:18–24).

1. The fact that Eve was formed out of Adam, instead of being produced independently, establishes between the parents of mankind a substantial and radical unity, befitting man as the image and representative of the one God in the dominion over material nature. Again, the origin of Eve shows that in man, who is the likeness of the triune God, the communication of nature proceeds from one principle; just as in the Trinity, the communication of the Divine Nature proceeds from the Father. Both these considerations acquire more force from the fact that Eve was formed from the bone, not simply from the flesh, of Adam,—that is, from his inmost self. The Fathers, commenting on this, point out that it proves the identity of nature in man and woman, and ought to urge us to fraternal love as being all of the same kindred.

2. The Divine Law, expressed in the fact, by which the union of the sexes is consecrated as a conjugal union and by which the essence of marriage is determined, contains the following elements:—

(a) The idea and will of the Creator, as manifested by the peculiar production of Eve, is that the physical union of the sexes in the act of generation should be preceded by and founded upon a moral, juridical, and holy union of the bodies of the progenitors; a union, that is, which is sanctioned by God as the sovereign ruler of nature, and gives to each of the parties an exclusive and inviolable right over the body of the other, so that, during their union, neither can dispose of his body in favour of a third person. The Divine idea of such an union is sufficiently expressed in the act of producing Eve from the substance of Adam—as it were, a new member of the same body. The will of God that such union should exist is manifested by the fact that He Himself planned and executed the formation of Eve and handed her over to Adam as flesh of his flesh, or rather as united to him by Divine act and will. The inmost essence of marriage consists, therefore, in the moral union of man and woman. The relation between this ideal and spiritual bond on one side, and man’s dignity as image of God on the other side; and, further, the possibility and necessity of this bond, will appear from the following considerations.

(α) The parties are themselves images of God, and, as such, possess moral liberty and dominion over the members of their bodies. Hence, each of them can acquire a right of disposing of the other’s body, and can make it morally his own. In this manner the two bodies belong to one mind, just as though they were naturally members of the same body. This mutual transfer and appropriation of bodies, rendered possible by the power of disposal which their owners have over them, is seen to be necessary if we consider that a moral being like man can dispose and make use of nothing but what belongs to him by some right: especially in the present case, where the appropriation must be a lasting one.

From this moral and juridical point of view alone, however, we cannot perceive how the conjugal union of man and woman possesses that inviolable solidity which makes it unlawful for the contractors to break their contract even by mutual consent. The human will cannot impart to the conjugal union a solidity which almost puts it on a level with the union of members of one and the same body. The intervention of God is needed, Who, as He established the natural union of members in the body, so also established the indivisible, spiritual union of man and woman in matrimony. He intervenes as the absolute master of both bodies, and disposes of them as His own property, making each of them an organ of the spirit of the other. In the case of Adam and Eve He intervened directly, previous to any act on their part; He intervenes indirectly or mediately in subsequent marriages, acting through the will of the contracting parties. The Divine intervention gives sanctity as well as inviolability to the contract.

(β) The reason why marriage must be considered in this fuller and higher sense is that the object of marriage is the production of an “image and likeness” of God. This entails, on the one hand, that the product of generation should come into existence as the property of God alone, and consequently as something consecrated to Him; and, on the other hand, that the carnal action of the parents cannot attain its object without a special creative co-operation on God’s part, the parents acting as the instrumental cause, subordinated to Him. The two bodies united act as one organ of the Divine Spirit. Hence the progenitors, when giving each other power over their bodies, ought to consider them as the special property of God, and ought to dispose of them in His name and by His power. In this manner the moral and juridical transfer of the bodies receives, in its very essence, a religious consecration; and the unity of members resulting therefrom is endowed with the character of holiness and inviolability. It is, in a way, like the natural unity of the members of the same body, and cannot be dissolved by the mere will of the parties.

(b) It is evident that the procreation of children and carnal pleasure are not the sole objects of marriage. The fact that Eve was formed out of a rib of Adam, points to the formation of a society of personal beings, founded upon mutual respect and love, or upon the union of minds and hearts. The society of husband and wife, being the root of all other societies, is the most natural and the most intimate of all, and consequently the most complete and indissoluble. The spiritual or social aspect of the union of the sexes, as ordained by the Creator, appertains to its essence to such an extent that it can exist, not indeed without the possibility of carnal connection, but without its actual realization. Such a virginal union fulfils at least the social ends of marriage. It may even correspond with the intentions of the Creator in an eminent degree, if the parties regard their union as consecrated by and to God, and make it the means of mutual assistance for leading a holy life.

(c) Lastly, the way in which God produced the first woman points out the respective rank of husband and wife. Adam is the principle of Eve; Eve is given him as a help: hence the woman is a member and a companion of man, who, according to the Apostle, is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23). Yet the wife is no slave or handmaid. Adam became the principle of Eve only by giving up a portion of his own substance, and Eve was made by God a help like unto Adam himself. There is, therefore, a co-ordination of interests and rights in the conjugal union: the husband is the owner of the body of the wife, and the wife is the owner of the body of her husband; respect and love are due on both sides; and the wife shares in the husband’s dominion over all things that are his (See Leo XIII.’s Encycl. Arcanum).