The main purpose of marriage is spiritual unity, rather than child bearing, the priest believes

The essence of marriage is to attain unity of two individuals, and child bearing is the natural result of such unity, the priest and psychologist said. "The purpose of marriage is to create a spiritual union of two individuals. Child bearing is only a natural result of marriage, rather than its precondition and goal," the Priest Andrey Lorgus said in his lecture at the Moscow Spiritual Library cultural center.

According to Fr. Andrey's theological, pastoral and psychological point of view, "the childbearing commandment has no primary purpose. The purpose of marriage is to restore the unity which was granted by God in Paradise. Two people as one flesh - this saying hardly relates to children," he said.

"If child bearing is the purpose of marriage, then the childless marriage might be considered failed one. A married couple which feels love and understanding to each other did not happen to fulfill its purpose. Childlessness is not the sign of a failed marriage," Fr. Andrey believes.

According to him, it is the same as "a family with many children is not the sign of spiritual unity and the Christian treatment of marriage."

"If children were the benchmark of marriage, we should consider the marriage which has many children as the most successful family. Then this definition would include families which lead anti-social and immoral life," Fr. Andrey said.

Source: Interfax religion