| The Sneaky Divorce |
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| Saturday, 20 June 2009 03:56 |
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Too many important things have undergone a radical change. For instance, the indissolubility of the bond in the sacrament of marriage: a permanent bond which has been established by Divine Law, and thus believed and upheld for twenty centuries without the slightest doubt or exception. Today, on the contrary, divorce is profusely practiced within the Catholic Church, as if it were something perfectly natural and convenient. Of course, the term “divorce” is not used – it could not possibly be, since Divine Law and more than twenty centuries of ecclesiastical practice are involved here –; instead it is referred to as an official declaration of non-existence or nullity of the bond. There was not a valid bond at the moment of the celebration of the marriage in question; therefore, one can consider that there was no valid sacrament. From this point of view, it could seem that one is treading here upon the paths of legitimacy and normalcy; but problems immediately arise the very moment one begins to reflect on this issue. Is it enough to change the name of an institution – divorce, in this case – to hide it from view, in spite of the fact that its essence and existence remain intact? The same has occurred in this profane world with issues like abortion, which, for instance, is now referred to as an interruption of pregnancy (many other very well-known examples could be brought in here).
Among the many cases I am aware of – more lamentable than unfortunate –, I will mention this: a couple, married more than twenty years and with many children, was granted an annulment. The husband later married in a civil court, only to get divorced soon afterwards and cohabitate with another, what you may refer to today as sentimental partner. I ask myself the following questions: How is it possible that the pertinent Diocesan Curate could consider itself competent and with the sufficient authority (be it moral, judicial, or any other type) to declare – officially – that there was never a marriage in this case, even after twenty years and with the corresponding implications for the children? Was the investigation so detailed or efficient enough to discover the non-existence of this bond from a retrospective and more than comprehensive viewpoint, since so much time had passed? And even if the time had been much shorter, isn’t the incredible capacity of retrospective hindsight of these Diocesan Curates admirable? Unfortunately, I know of many similar cases; numbers more than adequate to deplore such an unfortunate contribution to the destruction of the Family. It is evident that permanence, as one of the essential elements of the concept of Love, has also disappeared in ecclesiastical circles. Translated from the book "Meditaciones de Atardecer" (pags. 245 - 246) |
| Last Updated on Friday, 31 July 2009 01:38 |



