Chad Pecknold , associate professor, theology, published an article in National Review on defending marriage. See below.
From: National Review Date: June 20, 2016 Author: Chad Pecknold
Marriage is a simple agreement. It requires what philosophers call a speech-act. By freely saying and intending the marital words "I do," a man and a woman actually become husband and wife. Free consent, then, is the key to forming the marital bond. But as everyone knows, you really have no idea what you are consenting to when you enter into marriage. Many feel trepidation before the act, but our consent to marry proceeds from mysterious wellsprings of trust, love, and hope. Few enter marriage thinking that it's just a short-term, non-exclusive contract that will never bring about new life or care for the next generation. We make the presumption, naturally, effortlessly, that a man and woman are married when they have said "I do."
And yet, things aren't so simple. Western civilization is confused about the nature of marriage. Not only have gender ideologues seized upon our crisis by attacking the basis of marriage in sexual differentiation and complementarity, but even with a proper understanding of marriage as between a man and a woman, we still seem confused. Americans have moved from "the divorce culture" to "the cohabiting culture," as more young people choose to enter into looser, more provisional bonds that have some shadowy resemblances to the goods of marriage, such as the hope, rather than promise, of lifelong fidelity and openness to life. This cultural confusion about marriage affects everyone, Catholics included. ...
Read more about Pecknold's expertise .