Is it a sin to divorce in the Catholic Church?

The Catholic Church prohibits divorce, and permits annulment (a finding that the marriage was not canonically valid) under a narrow set of circumstances. The Christian emperors Constantine and Theodosius restricted the grounds for divorce to grave cause, but this was relaxed by Justinian in the 6th century.

How does the Catholic Church handle divorce?

The Catholic Church treats all consummated sacramental marriages as permanent during the life of the spouses, and therefore does not allow remarriage after a divorce if the other spouse still lives and the marriage has not been annulled.

What percent of Catholic marriages end in divorce?

Watching closely are many of the Catholics whose marriages have fallen apart. An estimated 28 percent of American Catholic adults who have ever been married have since divorced, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

Is it a sin to marry after divorce?

Absolutely! Divorce is no less forgivable than any other sin. Forgiveness of all sins is available through faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7). If God forgives the sin of divorce, does that mean you are free to remarry?

What does the Catholic Church say about divorce?

The Catholic Church does not recognize divorce as ending a sacramental marriage, and actively discourages it. The Church does recognize that in abusive situations, there may be a legal necessity to formally separate and even divorce to obtain justice and protection from the abusive spouse.

What are the rules for divorce in the Catholic Church?

The surviving spouse then is allowed to remarry. The Catholic Church does not grant divorce decrees nor does it recognize divorces issued by other religions or institutions. The Catholic Church can, however, annul a marriage if there is sufficient proof that the marriage was invalid to begin with.

What Catholics should know about divorce?

The first thing Catholics should know is that divorce is not a sin that should keep a divorced Catholic from receiving the sacraments. A divorced or separated person is not excommunicated and is still a Catholic in good standing. The only reason for excommunication after divorce is remarriage without going through the annulment process.

What is the Catholic position on divorce?

Divorce was disallowed at the time of Jesus Christ (the New Testament). The official position then of the Catholic Church is that marriage is a sacrament that cannot be dissolved. A valid marriage has to endure until one spouse dies. The surviving spouse then is allowed to remarry.