Trent

Augustine felt that marriage was necessary to overcome the temptations to lust.  Rather pessimistic.  Then along came the Catholic Reformation and the Council of Trent, which ended in 1563.  Trent was more optimistic and even believed in love in marriage.  Trent said the first motive for marriage was companionship.  Much more positive.  Companionship could deal with the discomforts of life and growing infirmities of old age.  It was secondarily about the wish for children.  What happened?  I did not hear this as I was growing up.  Vatican II Council, 1962-65, gave it a shout, but kids were primary in my upbringing.  Well, after Trent, those Jansenists got their view to be the focus.  Jansenists felt we were all depraved.  They did not think much for a spiritual union.  We were too depraved for that.  The emphasis went back to procreation over against companionship.  I think the Jansenists ruled in the Bronx where I was growing up.  But then again, I was a pretty depraved kid.