On 13 June 1525 Luther married the nun Katherine von Bora in a simple ceremony. He had advocated clerical marriage and was under pressure to put his theology into practice. Katherine, who was 16 years younger than Luther, was adamant that he was her only choice and Luther’s father was keen on having grandchildren. The wedding would “rile the pope, make angels laugh and the devils weep.” Luther had no illusions regarding the difficulties of married life but he believed that marriage created a new awareness of human community. The couple had six children (two died at a young age) and remained loyal to each other through 21 years of turmoil.