Catholic Churches Position On Divorce?

[southern california guy]

So what is the Catholic churches official position on divorce? (Not to be confused with an annulled marriage).

Divorcee's aren't allowed to remarry in the Catholic church. Why not? What is the explanation for the Catholic churches position? What is the position of someone who's divorced -- in the Catholic church?

And finally digressing back to the question of annullments. What are the rules for annulling marriages? If one partner is supposedly abusive of the other -- do both partners get an annullment? Are annullments passed out too easily these days? And do you personally consider an annullment different from a divorce (I have to confess I don't really..).

[eagle_eye222001]

Fairly informative article that explains what the Church teaches on divorce with evidence to back up why.

[url="http://www.catholic.com/library/Permanence_of_Matrimony.asp"]http://www.catholic.com/library/Permanence_of_Matrimony.asp[/url]




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[CatherineM]

A divorce ends a marriage, but doesn't change the fact that a marriage existed. The "til death" thing in your vows means just that. Annulment means that a marriage never existed in the first place because something was lacking in the procedure or the intentions of the parties to the marriage.

I have done divorces in civil court, and volunteered in the tribunal that rules on annulments. I believe that too many annulments are being given in North America, but not because it is too easy to get them here, but because of the rampant immaturity in individuals seeking marriage. I also believe that many priests are marrying people they know they shouldn't but don't want to upset parishioners. I've had more than one priest admit under cross examination that they married kids they shouldn't have because their parents were large contributors to the parish.

[Nihil Obstat]

In the secular world, a divorce ends the marriage, but marriage as we understand it cannot be ended except in death.

[Didacus]

People who divorce in the civil sense remain married by Church standards. They cannot remarry since they are continually married to another person (even though they may not live together, be divorced according to the goverment and haven't even spoken to one another for years).

Divorce does NOT exist for catholics - it is an categorical impossibility. What God unites, men cannot divide - bottom line.




My wife has an aunt who has remained celebate for 30years+ because her husband was an alcoholic, abusive and everything that goes with it. She left him, but could not get an annulment, and wouldn't divorce. The only option she had left was celibate life for as long as her husband lives. Off the record, I think she made the right choice.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Didacus' post='1817707' date='Mar 27 2009, 07:06 AM']My wife has an aunt who has remained celebate for 30years+ because her husband was an alcoholic, abusive and everything that goes with it. She left him, but could not get an annulment, and wouldn't divorce. The only option she had left was celibate life for as long as her husband lives. Off the record, I think she made the right choice.[/quote]

For the record, I think in such cases people can obtain a civil (ie legal) divorce which would allow dissolution of legal ties. The couple would still maintain sacramental ties and thus could not, according to the Church, remarry.

[southern california guy]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1817580' date='Mar 26 2009, 10:20 PM']A divorce ends a marriage, but doesn't change the fact that a marriage existed. The "til death" thing in your vows means just that. Annulment means that a marriage never existed in the first place because something was lacking in the procedure or the intentions of the parties to the marriage.

I have done divorces in civil court, and volunteered in the tribunal that rules on annulments. I believe that too many annulments are being given in North America, but not because it is too easy to get them here, but because of the rampant immaturity in individuals seeking marriage. I also believe that many priests are marrying people they know they shouldn't but don't want to upset parishioners. I've had more than one priest admit under cross examination that they married kids they shouldn't have because their parents were large contributors to the parish.[/quote]

It sounds like a "loophole" that a lawyer might "find".. I don't think that most of the protestant religions have the church approved divorces like the Catholics do, but perhaps some of the protestant religions that are close to Catholicism (Luthern, Episcopalin) do.

So they're arguing that the priest should refuse to marry certain people? Argueably these are "big kids" who are getting married. It sounds like it's money that really decides who gets to marry -- and who gets an "annulment".

Of course outside of the Catholic church -- who don't know about Catholic annulments -- see all divorcees more or less equally.

[Lilllabettt]

It's not about $$$. That is a common idea but it's just not true. It does not matter how much money you have when going before the tribunal. You may have heard people complain about it like that "Oh the Catholic Church wouldn't give me an anullment b/c I wasn't rich enough" but the real reason is they did NOT have a good enough case. They don't want to admit that so they make out like it is a money issue.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='southern california guy' post='1817714' date='Mar 27 2009, 08:46 AM']It sounds like a "loophole" that a lawyer might "find".. I don't think that most of the protestant religions have the church approved divorces like the Catholics do, but perhaps some of the protestant religions that are close to Catholicism (Luthern, Episcopalin) do.

So they're arguing that the priest should refuse to marry certain people? Argueably these are "big kids" who are getting married. It sounds like it's money that really decides who gets to marry -- and who gets an "annulment".

Of course outside of the Catholic church -- who don't know about Catholic annulments -- see all divorcees more or less equally. [/quote]
The church doesn't have "church approved divorces", an annulment means you lack the legal or moral capacity to get married - that is NOT a divorce. Marriage or annulments are not decided by money - in fact if you have no money the church will pay the lawyer fees for the annulment. They are not the same, so kindly do not equate them.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='southern california guy' post='1817560' date='Mar 27 2009, 12:57 AM']And do you personally consider an annullment different from a divorce (I have to confess I don't really..).[/quote]

The difference is that the annullment process recognizes that marriage is a sacrament that brings a man and a woman together into a single flesh union for life. Divorce is a civil proclamation that a civil marriage has ended. In the Church, there is no such thing as divorce, though a civilly divorced couple could remain Catholic in good standing, long as they live chastely (as all Christians are commanded to live). The Church holds marriage to Jesus' standard, and he says several times in Scripture that he "hates" divorce. To the secular world, it means a tax cut and shared health benefits.

Also, when an annullment is conducted as a spiritual and psychological healing process, it does more than simply declare that a marrage wasn't valid: it forces a person to examine their life, brings closure to one of the most painful experiences a person can endure, and delivers freedom from bitterness and resentment so they are not only free to marry again, but more open to whatever God has in store.

[thessalonian]

SC,

A marriage is a contract. Now if one side or the other gets in to the contract under false pretenses does that not make it as if the contract never existed. Surely if we can figure that out and void the contract over fraud, the much more does God who judges hearts. The Bible says "GOD HATES DIVORCE". It is interesting that many times when the Bible speaks about divorce there are stories about children around the passages. Divorce does grave damage to children.

[HisChildForever]

Is it possible to get a divorce and then an annulment? Because if a divorce ends the marriage legally, it still recognizes that it existed/was valid. If you get a divorce and then a few years later seek an annulment, when your case is reviewed they will see that you had a divorce, which indicates that you acknowledged the marriage as valid.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1817733' date='Mar 27 2009, 08:18 AM']Is it possible to get a divorce and then an annulment? Because if a divorce ends the marriage legally, it still recognizes that it existed/was valid. If you get a divorce and then a few years later seek an annulment, when your case is reviewed they will see that you had a divorce, which indicates that you acknowledged the marriage as valid.[/quote]
I think that the divorce could/would be seen in the strictest legal sense... meaning overall having little or no bearing on the sacramental aspect of it.

[Didacus]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' post='1817710' date='Mar 27 2009, 06:17 AM']For the record, I think in such cases people can obtain a civil (ie legal) divorce which would allow dissolution of legal ties. The couple would still maintain sacramental ties and thus could not, according to the Church, remarry.[/quote]

I believe that is precisely what she did.

[Didacus]

[quote name='HisChildForever' post='1817733' date='Mar 27 2009, 08:18 AM']Is it possible to get a divorce and then an annulment? Because if a divorce ends the marriage legally, it still recognizes that it existed/was valid. If you get a divorce and then a few years later seek an annulment, when your case is reviewed they will see that you had a divorce, which indicates that you acknowledged the marriage as valid.[/quote]

It is not impossible nor inconcevable that the government grants an 'annulment' to a marriage in the sense that a contract (in civil terms; a marriage) can be declared null and void for various reasons. A contract being declared 'null and void' is akin to the Catholic Church 'annulment of marriage'.



I do not believe the panel reviewing cases would see a divorce as acknowledgement the marriage was once valid. The annulment basically says the original acknowledgement at the time of the vows was invalid, and thus any other acknowledgment henceforth would be equally invalidated.