“What God shall join together, let no man tear assunder”

“What God shall join together, let no man tear assunder” - St. Matthew

by Ronan

A real bone of contention for many Catholics today is the Church’s stance on divorce. This when anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 Irish divorce legally each year and 86% of the nation still claim to be Catholic. What then of these tens and twenties of thousands. Living in sin? Are all these Catholics destined for a warmer climate regardless of their beliefs?

To understand divorce one must first look to marriage. Marriage is the sacred union of man and woman before God. Everything that we know, theologically, about marriage tells us that divorce cannot and should not be allowed…..but is that the end of it. If a marriage is consummated then the marriage is seen to have been verified and so cannot be ‘torn asunder’ by any man, regardless of their good intentions. If children are involved then the annulment of the marriage leaves them in an impossible situation. Catholics today who divorce legally can either ‘live in sin’ or apply to have their years together, which they know where valid, pronounced null and void. Is this fair when they know they did love one another and so where joined by love, and so God, for all that time? Yet the theology involved still says otherwise.

What then of the love shown to such a couple? What of the compassion shown in dealing with their situation? If a couple falls out of love (a reality!) are they to spend the remainder of their natural lives alone? Is this right? I don’t think so.

I think there is no theological bases for divorce, although I stand to be corrected, but should rules and regulations…interpretations of ancient texts be used to govern the Church or should the Church of God…the Church of Love not be governed by Love. Without our sacred texts there could be no Church…no faith. But without love their could be nothing at all.

I don’t have real answers to this problem, so please enlighten me if you can, but as a Christian I judge a situation not by intellect alone but with my heart. To me all these good people struggling through life cannot be abandoned. The answer is not annulment…I do know that much. I’m not suggesting that’s the answer at the moment but that’s the only possible option for those searching in despiration - (such as Mr. Kennedy!).

Some relationships last…and that’s the way it should be but for those who have given all the love they can give to a particular person then why should they be forced to live a lie. Divorce can water down the sanctity of marriage but with education could allow for love to continue. After all is that not the true goal of Christians?…to foster love?