age of consent

[toledo_jesus]

In my psychology text Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality (pg. 150), the editor makes a claim regarding the age of consent in the Vatican State, claiming it to be 12 for boys and girls.
This may not be anyone's area of expertise, but is this current and is it a holdover from history? I am quite sure that not too many people are being told by the Church to get married at 12, and it seems odd that the Vatican would allow for this between minors who are not married. I begin to think perhaps the editor was making an erroneous or out of context claim.

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='Aug 11 2005, 05:10 PM']In my psychology text Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality (pg. 150), the editor makes a claim regarding the age of consent in the Vatican State, claiming it to be 12 for boys and girls. 
This may not be anyone's area of expertise, but is this current and is it a holdover from history?  I am quite sure that not too many people are being told by the Church to get married at 12, and it seems odd that the Vatican would allow for this between minors who are not married.  I begin to think perhaps the editor was making an erroneous or out of context claim.
[right][snapback]682475[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
My understanding is that the Vatical City State's legislation is essentially the Code of Canon Law.
According to the code of Canon Law:
[quote]Canon 1083.1 A man cannot validly enter marriage before the completion of his sixteenth year of age, nor a woman before the completion of her fourteenth year.[/quote]

So this thing about age 12 sounds like a silly myth to me. And the Code of Canon Law further clarifies the matter with the following Canons:
[quote]Canon 1072 Pastors of souls are to see to it that they dissuade young people from entering marriage before the age customarily accepted in the region.

Canon 1083.2 The Episcopal Conference may establish a higher age for the lawful celebration of marriage.[/quote]

Therefore you will find a different cut off age in different countries and cultures because the Church will adapt to the acceptable social norm. Therefore I doubt a 15 and 17 year old could be licitly married in the USA, even though this is possible for some other country or culture.