Betrothal

A betrothal is a promise of future marriage. It is not a marriage, but a pledge or promise of marriage.

It is possible for a betrothal to be contracted for a child who has at least some understanding of a contract, even though he be unable to make a contract of his own accord. {-The Church urges pastors and parents to use all effort to avoid and prevent any sort of nuptial agreement or promise before the parties are themselves old enough to marry.-}

A betrothal is a contract, but not an indissoluble one. It can be dissolved by the mutual consent of the parties it binds; or by the fact of one party’s entering religion; or by one party’s marrying another than the betrothed; and also in other ways. If the betrothal has been formally made as a religious rite, it should not be dissolved without appeal for the judgment of the Church.