177. (18) According as the aforementioned conjunctions are formed, married partners become more and more one person. This accords with the observations contained in point (6), where we explained that the union takes place gradually from the first days of marriage, and that in people who are in a state of truly conjugial love, it becomes deeper and deeper to eternity. See what was said there. Married partners become proportionately one person in the measure that their conjugial love grows. And because, in heaven, this love is genuine, owing to the celestial and spiritual life of the angels, therefore two married partners there are called two when they are referred to as husband and wife, but one when they are referred to as angels.