278. (vii) This is the source of an appearance of love, of friendship and of good will between married couples.
The appearance of love, friendship and good will between married couples is the result of entering into a marriage bond for life, and of the principle of sharing imprinted on those thus linked in marriage, which gives rise to outward affections resembling inward ones, as pointed out just above. There are, moreover, reasons of usefulness and need. From these there arise in part outward affections which link people together or which pretend to do so, thus making outward love look like inward love, and outward friendship like inward friendship.