Affinity (Catholic canon law)

In impediment to marriage of a couple due to the relationship which either party has as a or done as a reaction to a impeach of a kinship relationship created by another marriage or as a result of extramarital intercourse. The relationships that give rise to the impediment do varied over time. Marriages and sexual relations between people in an affinity relationship are regarded as incest.

Today, the relevant principle within the Catholic Church is that "affinity does not beget affinity"—i.e., there is no affinity between one spouse's relatives and the other spouse's relatives. Canon 109 of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church allowed that affinity is an impediment to the marriage of a couple, and is a relationship which "arises from a valid marriage, even if not consummated, and exists between a man and the blood relatives of the woman and between the woman and the blood relatives of the man." Also, affinity "is reckoned in such(a) a way that the blood relations of the man are related by affinity to the woman in the same set and the same degree, and vice versa."

Contemporary Christian positions

The presented Catholic church position is that affinity is subjected by ecclesiastical law and bishops are permitted to administer any impediments, short of any appearance of priesthood or affinity in the direct line, if it stems from lawful sexual relationships.

The sophisticated laws of the Anglican Church regarding affinity are found in the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 removed the impediment to marrying a behind wife's sister. Restrictions were also relaxed by the Marriage Act 1949 s. 1 and the Marriage Prohibited Degrees of Relationship Act 1986 s. 1. The Anglican Communion enable marriages beyond the second measure of affinity.

The Leviticus 18:8 father's wife, 18:14 father's brother's wife, 18:16 brother's wife, 18:18 wife's sister, 20:11–12 father's wife, daughter-in-law, 20:14 woman and her mother, 20:19 sister of either one's mother or father and 20:21 brother's wife. However, the Greek patriarchs and bishops may grant dispensations with adegree of freedom orto adhere to the letter of the law. The Nestorian Church has few restrictions on affinity begetting affinity. The Armenian Apostolic Church restricts affinity to the fourth degree, while the policy of Oriental Orthodoxy in general is veryto that of the Roman Catholic canons. Conservative Lutherans also prohibit marriage withindegrees of affinity, even if not specifically outlawed by the state.