Divorce is not accepted as it creates tension and damages a marriage. Divorce makes a Marriage seem not worthwhile and that maybe no attempt was made to make the Marriage work. Divorce can break up families and destroy happy environments and can make a Marriage seem a waste time; it also affects other couples too.
“Divorce is immoral because it introduces disorder into the family society,” Catechism 2385
The Church teaches that divorce sets a bad example to others and could damage around relationships that surround the couple. The Church will not remarry someone who has been divorced beforehand, as it is against their teachings. The Church believes that a couple should love nobody else and that they only have one true partner.
When a couple take their vows they promise to stay faithful to one another. They promise to not commit adultery. The Catholic Church teaches about the wrongs of adultery. One of the Commandments is,
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
The Church believes that if people make a commitment to one another then they should keep it; they believe that there is no excuse for divorce, as the couple were made aware of what Marriage was about before and during the Marriage. The Church knows that divorce cannot only affect the couple but the Church too, as it makes their Marriage seem less important. It could also be seen as an easy way of ending a troubled Marriage, rather then working on it. The Church does offer annulments, but they are very rare and for special cases, such as one of the couple been too young enough to realise the full meaning of the vows.
The Church believes that Marriage is a special gift, which brings about the possibility of children. It helps spread the faith and create a good foundation for children. The Church believes that all Marriages should consider the possibility of children; they believe that having a child can make a Marriage, as its more special and the Church tries to encourage it. Marriage makes a persons life more worthwhile and children can help fulfil everything that they ever would want in life and make people happier about themselves.
Part Two
When Catholics marry they accept the rules of the Roman Catholic Church; these are the basis to an ideal marriage. Catholics use these teachings so they can do what God wants them too, helping create an example to other Christians. To show that a couple are committed to one another the Sacrament they make is vows agreeing to stay together. This shows that they understand what being married means and that they are willing to accept the responsibilities.
In the vows the couple promise to love each other
“For better for worse,” this means not only through the good times but also the bad ones too, such as when the couple are having financial difficulties, as the couple promised to love one another no matter what and they should stand by each other
“In sickness and in health,” to stay together even say if one of the couple was in a coma or suffered from a terrible illness, then the other should remain faithful to them.
“For richer for poorer,” through financial problems and even bankruptcy. A couple should love their partner even if they may be the one responsible for their financial problems as they may have been spending too much money and Jesus would want the partner to forgive them like he did when he was alive.
When the vows were made the couple promised to stay together forever, this is put to the test when they grow old and sometimes realise the other partner faults and this is were the idea can be questioned on whether they want to spend the rest of their life with that person.
Through all the difficulties they may face the couple should stay faithful to each other and love each other as together they make each other stronger and find it easier to overcome the difficulties than they would have alone. The Church sees these vows as made to be kept and that if someone wasn’t willing to keep them then they shouldn’t have made them in the first place. Sometimes people can rush into a marriage and the Church feels that it’s important that a couple are aware of the responsibilities. The Church wants to know that a marriage is serious and is in the eyes of the Church and that divorce is not acceptable. They offer help to people who are considering marriage or are having troubled marriages, in order to prevent rushed decisions and the divorce rates. The help provided is usually classes, which offer advice and phone lines, which help couples try to avoid divorce.
The rules surrounding marriage are certainly hard to keep to, not only does the Church not accept divorce and adultery but also artificial contraception as Marriage is life giving.
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:28
The Church believes that all contraception is wrong and goes against what God wants. The Church teaches that sex is a gift given to all married couples and that every sexual act should be open to the possibility of children. The Church teaches about contraception
“It is never lawful…and nothing good comes of doing the evil.” (Humanue Vitae 1968)
The Church teaches that a couple’s job is to create children and bring them up in the Christian faith, by using contraception a couple are preventing this. Many Catholics disagree with this teaching and still use contraception as it prevents rushed family decisions and prevents diseases, they also don’t see it as preventing life. The Church accepts natural family planning as it doesn’t stop the possibility of children, but it works around the time when a woman is most fertile.
Part 3
Marriage is a commitment and many people marry for the right reasons but many can’t handle the responsibilities, this explains why one in three marriages in Britain ends in divorce. I think that many marriages end in divorce because of unfaithfulness or simply for the fact that a couple can fall out of love. Sometimes a divorce is inevitable as one or both of the couple are happier from it. However others may feel that divorce is an easy way out of a troubled marriage. Divorce affects everyone and a couple should consider not only their feelings but other people’s too, such as family and close friends and they could even try and prevent it. If one of the couple was unfaithful the other should try and forgive them as Jesus taught.
I can understand why some people find life-long Marriage difficult as times have changed and people live much longer than they would have done 100 or so years ago. Sometimes the pressures of modern day life can affect a Marriage too as one or maybe both pursue a career and have no time for the other partner and this may affect a Marriage and jeopardise its length. Times have changed and a couple don’t always have as much support as they would have had in the past and this makes it difficult.
On the other hand a marriage is supposed to last forever and I think a couple should use divorce as a last resort. The Sacrament of Marriage can become tainted by the possibility of divorce. If a couple weren’t intending to keep the vows then they shouldn’t have made them in the first place. Divorce affects everyone that surrounds the couple, but particularly a child. A couple should put their children before their own wants and consider what’s best for that child rather than themselves. If a couple have tried and tried and have found no way to make their marriage last, then I believe there is no point making something out of nothing and I think Jesus would forgive our weaknesses and mistakes. I believe that in some cases divorce is acceptable and in others its not and I hope that most people will use it as a last resort rather than a first, as who knows what might happen from trying to make it work.
All: 1,795
