Entre la théorie ecclésiastique et la pratique laïque : le mariage chez les fidèles au XVe siècle

In the fifteenth century, a valid and legitimate marriage, according to the Church, was monogamous, consensual, exogamous and indissoluble. If it is possible to describe rightly the theory, can we do the same about domestic reality and perception of marriage by the laity? It is to this double question that this master’s thesis seeks to answer. From late antiquity to the late middle Ages, the marriage’s doctrine changed, was refined and finally, fixed. Accordingly, the unions that do not meet these criteria weren’t perceived as legitimate by the ecclesiastical authorities. A non-marital relationship leads to noxious consequences for the couple’s offspring, whose illegitimacy. It’s why the Apostolic Penitentiary graciously intervened by exempting, by absolving and by "leveling" the canon law’s requirements. This office has softened the legislation’s implementation and allowed couples whose marriages were theoretically invalid, to remain married and legitimize their children.