Garrett compares the civil covenant option with the Catholic vision of marriage. He offers an overview of covenant marriage legislation in general and highlights some differences between the three versions of the law currently in effect. He opens with a brief discussion of the church's understanding of marriage and continues by examining areas of convergence and tension between the civil covenant laws and the relevant canonical legislation found in the church's Code of Canon Law. He also proposes that church officials should promote civil covenant marriage in those jurisdictions where it is available and encourage the adoption of the legislation elsewhere. Finally, he suggests that support for the legislation is consistent with goals outlined by Leo XIII in Arcanum and more recently by both John Paul II and the American bishops.