Divorce

Sophia Chlosta
Definition of Divorce

▪ the legal dissolution of a marriage by

a court or other competent body.
How does the Church view divorce?

▪ The Church believes that ▪ As the Church they cannot

God, the author of accept a civil divorce, the
marriage, established it reason is because the State
as a permanent union. cannot dissolve that what
cannot be
▪ When two people marry, undone. See Catechism of the
they form an unbreakable Catholic Church, #2382-2386.
bond. Jesus himself
taught that marriage is
permanent (Matthew 19:3-
6), and St. Paul
reinforced this teaching
(see 1 Cor 7:10-11 and
Eph 5:31-32).
Divorce in the Church

▪ The Catholic Church has tough guidelines on

divorce.
▪ They consider the bond of marriage a sacred bond, it
is suppose to be based on a life long love and
family.
▪ It is a both a legal bond on earth and spiritual
which God witnessed.
▪ This latter cannot be broken using these temporal
laws.
What is permitted?

▪ If someone from the Catholic Church remarries they

are not allowed to receive the Eucharist.
▪ The Church still wants you to attend Mass but a
remarried Catholic is barred from receiving.
▪ This hurts a lot of Catholics who remarried because
the Eucharist is a huge part of their faith.
▪ They can get Holy Communion only if the marriage is
annulled.
May a divorced Catholic receive Holy
Communion?

▪ Divorced Catholic can receive Holy Communion who has not been
remarried and got an annulment.
▪ And they can still receive the sacraments.
▪ But the Catholics who were civilly divorced should speak to
their parish priest or spiritual director about their
situation regarding reception of Holy Communion
▪ Please see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2382-
2386, for more information.
Annulments

▪ An annulment declares actual proof that bond

between the two parties was not valid from the
first day of their marriages.
▪ The process can take 9-24 months or take longer.
▪ There are over 50,000 annulments granted every year
throughout the world.
▪ Grounds for an annulment include:
– They had a psychological incapacity to comprehend the
commitment marriage entails
– From the marriage someone may have hidden information such
as an old marriage or impotence or infertility.
What support does the Church offer to
divorced persons?

▪ The Church understands the pain of those caught in this

situation.
▪ When divorce is the only possible recourse, the Church offers
her support to those involved and encourages them to remain
close to the Lord through frequent reception of the
Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist. (United States
Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 287). Many dioceses offer
programs and support groups for divorced and separated
persons.
▪ Catholic Divorce Ministry, The Beginning Experience,
and Journey of Hope are helpful resources.
 Children of Divorce, Including Adults
by Emily Macke

▪ Often when people talk about “children of divorce”, they only have in
mind young children and teens who are still living at home with one
or the other parent after the separation. But as a Huffington Post
series called “When My Parents Split Up” reminds everyone, divorce
causes pain and confusion for children, no matter how old they are.

▪ In a September 27 article in the Washington Post, author

Julie Zauzmer discusses the connection between divorce and a decrease
in religious affiliation. A new study from the Public
Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that “Americans who were
raised by divorced parents are more likely than children whose
parents were married during most of their formative years to
be religiously unaffiliated (35% vs. 23% respectively).” Even those
raised with religious divorced parents are less likely than their
peers to identify as religious or regularly attend religious
services.
Children of Divorce, Including Adults

▪ As of January 2016, the series includes first-person narratives

of people who were between the ages of four and twenty-eight
when their parents separated. Two of the articles are written by
women who were twenty-eight at the time their parents divorced.
▪ Raquelle says that she “got caught in the middle of a
lot of back-and-forth” when her parents separated after
forty years of marriage. “It still feels raw, especially during
the holidays,” she says. “It’s been two years since finding
out and it’s still a struggle but I am trying. I’m navigating new
relationships with my family and it feels like a lot
of maintaining individual relationships — it’s no longer
the ‘unit’ I had.” Liz echoes Raquelle’s feeling of being caught
in the middle. She describes her parents’ sharing this news as
a “life-altering moment.” Her words to
other adults whose parents divorce: “you’re going to feel like
the rug has pulled out from under you and the world has turned
upside down. You’re going to grieve the loss of your parents
[sic] marriage.” She suggests counseling and support groups to
deal with the grief.
Children of Divorce, Including Adults

▪ Toria, who was four when her parents split up, says that she never
knew any other way of being a family. She thinks she may have been
confused at first, but in the end just accepted reality as it came to her.
In this way, she says, “There was no real sense on my part of change
or loss. The world made sense because at that age whatever happens
around you is normal and just the way things are supposed to be.”
She thinks that one of the impacts of the divorce is that she is not
concerned about getting married herself.
Children of Divorce, Including Adults

▪ Kristen learned that her parents were divorcing at the

age of twenty-one, only a few years younger than the
women above. She said that her age may have made it
harder in some ways because “Had I been younger,”
she writes, “I don’t believe I would have been put in
the middle as much.” She questioned her memories of her
childhood, and even though her father moved only a mile
away, “it seemed like a different world.” One of the
things that Kristen notes is that she feels more
aware of what she wants in a spouse, and how important
communication is for marriage. Her advice to other adult
children of divorce is to distance themselves from their
parents’ problems and not end up being confided in by
one or the other.
In what ways is your topic specifically a
violation/affirmation of the Principle of
the Human Person?

▪ It is a violation because they corrupted the

marriage
▪ They may have left kids behind
▪ They may have left only a spouse behind
– Either way someone was hurt
 Explain the Principle of Option for the Poor and
Vulnerable as it appears in your topic. Who are the
vulnerable persons in your topic?

▪ The vulnerable people who are broken and lost the

person who loved them the most.
▪ And for the kids whose parents are divorced and
they lost their role model in the family.
How is the Principle of Solidarity
upheld/ ignored?

▪ Solidarity is ignored because we are surrounded by conflict around

the world called by the Gospels.
▪ Pope Paul VI taught us that "if you want peace, work for justice."
▪ So, the people are ignoring this because if you ignore all of this
then you can't have peace within yourself. And if you cannot work for
justice then you cannot be kind to other people.
What are the key elements of Call to
Family, Community and Participation?

▪ We are supposed to stay together through the

hardships.
▪ Even though parents and kids are at the
lowest family will stay together.
▪ Other family members will come and help each
other through the tough times
Bible Quotes

▪ Luke 16:18
▪ “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another
woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a
divorced woman commits adultery.
Work Cited:
• “Divorce.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/divorce.
• “Bible Gateway Passage: Luke 16:17-19 -
Amplified Bible.” Bible Gateway,
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?searc
h=Luke 16:17-19&version=AMP.
• Marriage Today By For Your Marriage Staff
and Associates. “Is There a Connection
Between Divorce and Religion?” For Your
Marriage,
https://www.foryourmarriage.org/blogs/is-
there-a-connection-between-divorce-and-
religion/.
• “Divorce.” For Your Marriage,
https://www.foryourmarriage.org/divorce/.
• “Religions - Christianity: Divorce in
Christianity.” BBC, BBC, 23 June 2009,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ch
ristianity/ritesrituals/divorce_1.shtml.