Roman Catholic Church
Marriage is for life. A couple married in a RC Church have become “one flesh”, and stay married in the eyes of God until one partner dies. Couples expected to keep vows “until death us do part.”
Couples can separate if they are unhappy, but they are still married, and must not re-marry.
In 2002, the Pope spoke out against divorce. From the BBC:
Pope John Paul has urged Roman Catholic lawyers to refuse handling divorce cases.
In an unprecedented move the Pontiff said divorce was "spreading like a plague" through society, and lawyers should refuse to be part of the "evil".
Speaking at an annual meeting with Vatican magistrates, he said that Catholic lawyers should not even try to help non-Catholics obtain a divorce.
The indissolubility of marriage was not a "simple private choice", but one of the fundamentals of all society, he added.
Civil divorce (divorce granted by the courts) is not recognised by the RC Church. Couples that obtain a civil divorce and remarry without first obtaining an annulment are denied access to the confession and Holy Communion.
When one partner dies, the other is free to marry.
The Roman Catholic Church does allow annulment.
Annulment
RC Church says marriage can be annulled. This is not divorce. Annulment is when the RC Church agrees that the marriage was never a real marriage in the first place, e.g.
- the couple did not properly understand what they were doing, e.g. did not understand the language of the ceremony, or mentally unable to understand the vows
- one partner did not consent to the marriage, e.g. threats had been made!
- one partner has no intention of ever having children
- the marriage has not been consummated (the couple have not had sex together).
Annulment involves lots of serious questioning, and can take a long time. It is rarely allowed. If a marriage is annulled, the couple must also get a civil (legal) divorce.
Church of England and the Methodist Church:
Do not morally agree with, or encourage divorce, but accept that divorce sometimes happens. Some Anglicans see divorce as the 'lesser of two evils'. For example, if a woman is being beaten by her husband, or if he has sexually abused the children. Whilst divorce is not a good thing, it may be less wrong than staying married to someone who is abusing you or your children.
The last debate in the General Synod on divorce itself was on the Government's proposals to reform the Divorce Law in 1994. The General Synod carried the following motion:
'That this Synod:
- reaffirm its belief that marriage should always be undertaken as a lifelong commitment;
- recognise that when marriages break down the civil law must deal with the consequences of that breakdown;
- welcome the acceptance that the establishment of "irretrievable breakdown" through a period for consideration and reflection rather than fault should be the basis of the law, and the emphasis in providing appropriate mediation and other professional services for those who encounter difficulties in their marriage
This means that the Church of England thinks it is possible for a marriage to break down without being anyone's fault, but that a couple should seek help to sort out their problems before filing for divorce.
Civil (legal) divorce is recognised as an end to a marriage. Both are free to marry again.
