Although a serious offense against Jesus and his Church, divorce or separation alone should not prevent a Catholic from attending Mass, receiving the sacraments, and fully participating in parish life.
Sacred Scripture teaches that a married man and woman are joined together as one flesh by God, and what God has joined cannot be separated by man. Jesus taught that divorce and remarriage resulted in the serious sin of adultery.
When a man and a woman take their vows in the Catholic Sacrament of Matrimony, they enter into a covenant with God and each other, promising to remain united in marriage through good times and bad, until the death of one of the spouses.
In some cases, the Church permits married couples to separate when living together proves to be too difficult or even impossible, but the two spouses remain married to each other.
According to the Church, a civil divorce does not end a marriage. The Church considers all marriages to be valid unless proven otherwise by a thorough investigation that results in annulment of the marriage.
If a divorced Catholic chooses not to pursue remarriage, they may live chastely like a single person. They may receive Holy Communion if they are in a state of grace and confess their sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
If a Catholic divorces and gets married outside of the Church to another person without receiving an annulment, they commit adultery by being unfaithful to their original marriage and cannot receive Holy Communion.
Catholics who divorce and remarry without an annulment may return to the sacraments and receive Holy Communion only after repenting, going to Confession, and promising not to engage in marital relations with their civil spouse.
Divorced or separated Catholics who seek to live according to the Church’s laws related to marriage should contact their priest for spiritual guidance and help in resolving their particular situation.
Divorced Catholics are still Catholic:
Divorce alone does not prevent reception of Holy Communion:
Divorced Catholics retain their Christian faith:
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother [and be joined to his wife], and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” In the house the disciples again questioned him about this. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Mark 10: 6-12
Provisions exist for divorced Catholics to receive Communion:
The Church offers encouragement while standing firm about marriage:
Today there are numerous Catholics in many countries who have recourse to civil divorce and contract new civil unions. In fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ – “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” The Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was. If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God’s law. Consequently, they cannot receive Eucharistic Communion as long as this situation persists. For the same reason, they cannot exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities. Reconciliation through the Sacrament of Penance can be granted only to those who have repented for having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1650
A valid sacramental marriage is impossible to dissolve:
Invalid marriage is incompatible with living the Christian life well:
Catholics in an invalid marriage cannot receive Communion:
Together with the Synod, I earnestly call upon pastors and the whole community of the faithful to help the divorced, and with solicitous care to make sure that they do not consider themselves as separated from the Church, for as baptized persons they can, and indeed must, share in her life. They should be encouraged to listen to the word of God, to attend the Sacrifice of the Mass, to persevere in prayer, to contribute to works of charity and to community efforts in favor of justice, to bring up their children in the Christian faith, to cultivate the spirit and practice of penance and thus implore, day by day, God’s grace. Let the Church pray for them, encourage them and show herself a merciful mother, and thus sustain them in faith and hope. However, the Church reaffirms her practice, which is based upon Sacred Scripture, of not admitting to Eucharistic Communion divorced persons who have remarried.
Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 22 November 1981
Divorced and remarried Catholics should seek pastoral counseling:
The Church offers help for divorced Catholics:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
Life in a Catholic seminary:
Share this page with friends and family to start a conversation about your faith.
Don’t miss a post. Learn more about the Catholic Church and strengthen your Catholic faith.
Find more Fiercely Catholic video issues here.
Subscribe here.
