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The second good of marriage is fidelity — also referred to more generally as "conjugal faith" or "the good of the spouses." In the most basic sense, this means sticking with one other person and being faithful (sexually and other- wise) only to that person for life. This good too, it seems to me, is more needed now than ever, after a period of time where many people have abandoned fidelity. We have seen the effects of this decision, and of a world where virtual "friends" and similar relationships are not filling the void. Our world changes extremely quickly — we are exposed to constant breaking headlines, new technology and rapidly changing economic circumstances. But as human beings we long for stability and reliability, and we want to be assured of our love and worth at all times, despite how the wheel of fortune might turn. To be successfully faithful in marriage is to obtain that great good — a love which cannot be shaken, and on which we can depend even in the hardest times. This good is often what is highlighted in movies that feature a marriage, culminating in the vows: "In sickness and in health, until death do us part." It sat- isfies a deep longing of our heart and makes for a happy family. This second good, however, also goes beyond faithful- ness in the barest meaning mentioned above. It also, as Pope Pius XI writes "blooms more freely, more beautifully and more nobly, when it is rooted in that more excellent soil, the love of husband and wife which pervades all the duties of married life and holds pride of place in Christian marriage" (Casti Connubii 23). In other words, it involves the mutual molding of the two spouses as they rely on each other and grow together. It means spousal depen- dency, love, and friendship. ⊲ Fidelity 8 FEB-MAR 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC Wedding at St. Mary Catholic Parish, Littleton,CO. Photo by Emily Redwood/Redwood Photo.