A marriage sine opere coniugali was legitimized by canon lawyers and theologians,but it was generally believed that there was no marriage withoutconsent to carnal intercourse. This belief called into question the perfectionof Mary and Joseph’s union. Therefore, the canonist Gratian posited thatmarriage was begun with consent but ratified only by sexual intercourse.Hence, lawyers and theologians began to dispute the perfection of an unconsummatedmarriage and to discuss nuptial consent. In this discussion,the juridical concept of potestas corporis played a central role.