Paulikieltosääntöä

Paulikieltosääntöä, often translated as the "Pauline prohibition" or "Pauline privilege," is a concept found in canon law concerning the dissolution of marriages involving at least one baptized non-Christian. The rule originates from the Apostle Paul's writings in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, specifically chapter 7, verses 12-16.

In essence, the Pauline prohibition allows a baptized Christian whose non-baptized spouse willingly departs from the marriage to remarry. This is based on Paul's statement that if an unbelieving spouse chooses to live apart, the believing spouse is not bound. The interpretation and application of this rule have been refined over centuries by canon lawyers and theologians.

Key conditions for invoking the Pauline prohibition typically include that at least one party was unbaptized at the time of the marriage, and that the non-baptized spouse initiates separation and refuses to reconcile or live peacefully with the baptized spouse. The baptized spouse must also seek to live in peace with their non-baptized spouse and not be the cause of the separation. The Church's tribunal, often a diocesan marriage tribunal, is responsible for determining if these conditions are met. If they are, the marriage is declared dissolved, and the baptized party is free to remarry within the Church. This doctrine is distinct from divorce, as it concerns the validity of a marriage between a baptized person and an unbaptized person under specific circumstances.