The ritual of marriage is a very important milestone in the life of an individual and, more so, in the life of an individual who is also a devout Christian. The Scripture often mentions the sanctity of marriage as well as the permanency of it in one’s life. Such descriptions have resulted in a dilemma for particular individuals who, for some unfortunate reason, have had to divorce and remarry. At present, Catholicism does not permit divorced individuals to remarry unless and until they have had their marriage annulled by the Church.
While the Orthodox Catholic views on remarriage are extremely strict, in that, they don’t allow remarriage at all, the problem really lies in the progressiveness that modern Western societies have undergone. As a result of these archaic views, affected individual tend to stay away from certain rituals of the Church. Further, given the widespread nature of remarriages or divorces, the question really arises as to how long the Catholic Order can continue keeping away people from Communion and Mass on the grounds of remarriage. The real question that arises here is the practicality of such an effort. One can understand that it would do well for the Church to have its thinking grounded in modernity as far as an individual’s personal lives and rights are concerned. This paper will start by examining the views of the Church on Remarriage while briefly covering the Biblical views on Remarriage. Additionally, the paper will also attempt at arriving at solutions in brief and, in short, would cover the benefits of such an arrangement while reviewing the Papal efforts in bridging the gaps.
Perspective of the Church on Remarriage
The Church’s perspectives on Remarriage were shaped by the views of the Early Christian era that vouched for the absolute sanctity of marriage – something that would last beyond even death , making it virtually eternal. (Snuth 132) The Roman Catholic Church based its outlook on the formulations of Augustine of Hippo. It was Hippo who regarded marriage as a holy ritual. His views were later systematized by Thomas Aquinas who incorporated these into the Canon Law.
As per Aquinas, marriage “was instituted in the New Law in so far as it represents the mystery of Christ's union with the Church, and in this respect it is a sacrament of the New Law." (Snuth 134) In this case, Aquinas basically implied that nothing could dissolve a marriage between two parties – not even the act of adultery committed by one person could be held as grounds for divorce. As a result, if a particular man intends to divorce his wife who is an adulteress, he is not at liberty to remarry. If, however, he does so it would constitute adultery on his part. This particular point is not applicable in those cases where the wife dies. In all circumstances, the principles of Catholicism prefer that should the wife repent, the man should be reconciled to her; however, there is no compulsion on the man to accept her again.
At this point, it also becomes important to incorporate the views of St. Augustine. Augustine’s position was much like the view that was held by early Christianity except that he did not consider marriage as eternal in life and death. He believed that marriage bore an entirely sacramental character that was not dissolved despite the commission of adultery by one or both partners or even through divorce (Snuth 134). In sum, Augustine believed that whatever were the circumstances a divorced individual could not remarry without committing the sin of adultery. In his opinion, the only time when remarriage was permitted was when one’s spouse died. One can therefore see that Augustine's position became the foundation of the Roman Catholic view of marriage as a sacrament. When contracted between two communicants, marriage is indissoluble. The view was further developed when for instance, where only one was a believer, spiritual adultery was involved and a divorce may be permitted (along with remarriage, undercertain conditions). The reason for this was that Augustine held the view that spiritual adultery was far more dangerous as compared to adultery that one commits through remarriage (Snuth 135)
It was the Council of Trent in 1563 that set out the official view of the Roman Catholic Church. The Council upheld the insolvency of the marriage bond and the holy character of the wedlock. It postulated that "the bond of matrimony cannot be dissolved on account of the adultery of one of the married parties," and that neither spouse may ever remarry during the lifetime of another without committing adultery. If anyone should promote a contrary position, "let him be anathema." (Snuth 136). The decisions of the Council were further upheld and strengthened by Pope Leo XIII (1880). In 1930, Pope Pius X further ruled that a man could not take another woman to be his wife even if his already married wife was barren and such an act would surely come under the purview of adultery.
When a proposal was put up for voting by for voting before the Synod Fathers to see if they were in favor or granting Eucharist and access to Penance for remarried individuals, at least 40% of them were against even studying the revisionist proposal, leave alone implementing it (Harrison 8). When one reads the lines from the Corinthians and the decision of the Synod Fathers it is not very difficult to see the basis of their decision.
The second reason for the persistent denial of granting remarriage a religious sanction also lies in the definition of Mortal Sin. Saint John Paul II in the 1985 Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatioet Paenitentia, and cited in CCC No. 1857: “Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.” (Harrison 8) While some would argue that Remarriage is not really a Mortal Sin since the doer of the act may not have had a full knowledge that the act was sinful or that in such cases, consent, if given may not have been deliberate. However, most Catholic Dioceses require couples to sign forms that inform them of all these aspects. As a result, when two people enter marriage through Christian rituals they have full knowledge of the results of the failure of the marriage and its consequences. As a result, the argument doesn’t have much weight. Therefore, if one makes out an argument of diminished imputability in remarrying after a Christian marriage, it would still not cut much ice before the Catholic Church since it would still continue viewing the marriage as an adulterous one.
Opposing Views
There were however contrary views within Christianity. Many reformers felt that The Church was extremely rigid in its outlook and was creating problems particularly for those who were stuck in unhappy alliances. The resulting problems that arose due to the prevention of Remarriage gave rise to the reformist movement, particularly Protestantism. These movements aimed at making the Church realize that the issue of Remarriage or even Divorces were outside their purview and would be best handled by civil forums.
The point of the need for remarriage to exist was first made by Thomas More who felt that the Church had erred in having such a rigid stance concerning something that was so personal in nature (Snuth 135). While More had very severe views on individuals committing deliberate adultery, he felt that the Church would do well by taking a sympathetic view to the plight of those people who had remarried and were denied access to certain rituals in the Church and, in some cases, even excommunicated. One of his contemporaries, Desiderius Erasmus also cast aspersion on the idea of a complete prohibition on remarriage and divorce. In doing so, he used the Gospel of Matthew as a basis for his view in allowing remarriages since he believed that the Church interpreted the teachings of Christ with a highly narrow outlook and a great degree of inflexibility.
Martin Luther King held marriage on a very high pedestal, but was in favor of granting both divorces and allowing remarriages since he saw this as a practical and civil aspect of Life rather than something that religion should meddle in. (Snuth 137) On the other hand, John Calvin set up the Ecclesiastical Ordinances that laid down three rules for both remarriages as well as divorces: 1. Extreme Religious Incompatibility, 2. Impotence, and 3. Inability to perform conjugal acts due to some physical defect or deformation (Snuth 138). In addition to these points, Calvin also considered Adultery as grounds for dissolving a marriage since Jesus viewed Adultery as an unforgiveable sin.
Biblical Views on Remarriage
While this paper has thus far discussed the traditional views of the Church, it would be worthwhile to examine the Biblical view on Remarriage as well. As one knows, the position taken by the Church directly mirrors the Word of the Scripture. It is important to consider a particular Catechism of the Church, “man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man.” (Cahill 79). Clearly, the interpretation of this catechism points to the fact that since these points are true, once married in a holy ritual any act that leads to the breaking of the order of one’s life would also amount to breaking that image of God, thus making the person a sinner.
The Gospels and Paul as well as some part of the Corinthians display a strong opposition to the idea of remarriage since the Bible in its entirety views marriage as a bond that is instituted by God. (Cahill 81) In addition, Romans 3:8, also clearly forbids two people in a remarriage to enter into sexual union when one or both of their respective spouses are alive. (Harrison 7) Such an act would be adultery, which is one of the Great Sins. As a result, the Bible frowns down upon any practice that involves getting sexually connected to a person other than the one married in a lawful manner in the Church. For such an act, the Church neither has Forgiveness nor Redemption, since such an act only ends in excommunication of the participants involved in the act.
Clearly, the Bible has set very clear views on the subject since it does not allow remarried individuals access to the Sacraments of Penance or to the Eucharist. The basis for this denial lies in the belief that the institution of remarriage is adulterous in nature and lies in Corinthians 11: 27-29, stated as follows: “Whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.” (Harrison 8)
Changing Views of the Church and the Pope
Now that this paper has discussed the views of both the Church and the Bible in the views that both hold on remarriage, it goes to see how things have changed in modern times or if they really have not?
The most recent change that occurred in the remarriage viewpoint of the Church happened in the early 1980s. At that time, the official Church position, as set forth by Pope John Paul II in his 1981 apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio, n. 83, is that men and women who are separated and remarried without an annulment from the Church are “in the Church,” but not “in full communion with it.” (Bouchey 3). The reason and intent for using this carefully worded exhortation was that the Pope did not want those who were remarried to distance themselves from the Church, while at the same time wanted to set the Church on the path of reformation albeit in a small way.
Pope Francis – the present pontiff of the Vatican has been instrumental in recent times in attempting to bring about a certain level of change in the thought process of the Church. In the Vatican’s official magazine “Amoris Laetitia” Pope Francis’ proclamation on family life in which he encouraged the church to adopt a more flexible approach to remarried Catholics, opening a door to the possibility that they could receive Communion (Ransom & Herndon). As per Pope Francis’ view, remarried Catholics should consult their own conscience with due assistance from their pastors. As such, he feels that they should decide on their own as to the manner in which they want to progress in their faith.
The Pope’s views although carefully worded seem radically different from the opinion that generations of Catholic pastors and holy men have taught. Many Catholics are interpreting these lines by the Pope as his willingness to usher in a new era of acceptance by rejecting the erstwhile rigid stance incorporated by the Church and the Clergy (Ransom & Herndon). However, one needs to really check if the Pope is able to practice what he preaches given the inability of some sections of the Church to incorporate such a liberal stance that is arguably against the teachings of the Bible (perceptively, of course).
The other problem in the incorporation of such a liberal stance could be problematic given the Bible’s commentary on the same as well as the Church’s catechisms on the topic. Although the change in the Papal views bode well for everyone, particularly by those who are indeed in a Remarriage, the problem comes of implementation of the same. At the same time, the pressing question arises as to the possible solutions that one could consider in the resolving the issues.
Solutions
As discussed, the solution for such a problem that has roots in the Church but also has social ramifications can be best addressed and solved by the pastors who tend to their congregation. When people approach them for annulments of marriages, they should ideally tend to counsel them, while explaining the official position of the Church in such matters (Bouchey 17). This would help people understand that the decision they take would not only extend to their personal lives but also their religious lives.
For those who are already remarried, the Pastor could attempt to find a way so that such people (or couples) can participate in Mass without taking part in the Communion. Some suggestions include having separate Mass for such people wherein they simply pronounce, ““Lord, I am not worthy to receive you. Only say the word and I will be healed.” (Bouchey 19) Having said this, they could walk up to the Communion without partaking the Eucharist. In this way, Pastors would ideally play a very pivotal role in keeping their flock intact, while at the same time ensuring that the rules of the Canon are not broken.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can understand that the problem of Remarriage is something that affects individual Catholics deeply, particularly those who are either in the process of divorce and intend to remarry or those who are already remarried. The denial of certain rituals to them based on the views held by early Christianity is something that is a matter of much debate. This has now gone to the extent that Pope Francis has even decided to take a more accommodative stance on the subject. The pastors would play a very important role here by supporting the Pope’s merciful views on the subject, while also counseling their flock and supporting those who are particularly feeling left out due to their marital decision.
One can only hope that more individuals within the Church see the light of Reformation set by Pope Francis.
Works Cited
Bouchey, George, et.al. “Remarriage in the Church: Pastoral Solutions.” OMG Journal of Religion and Culture, 1.3 (2014): 1 – 23. Web. 14 Jul 2016.
Cahill, Lisa. “Marriage: Developments in Catholic Theology and Ethics.” Journal of Theological Studies, 64 (2003): 78 – 105. Web. 14 Jul 2016.
Harrison, Brian Fr. “Divorced and Remarried Catholics: Diminished Imputability?” Latin Mass Journal, (2015): 6 – 12. Print. 13 Jul 2016.
Ransom, Jan & Herndon, Astead. “Catholics laud the pope’s change in tone on Divorce and Remarriage.” The Boston Globe, 11 Apr 2016. Web. 14 Jul 2016.
Snuth, David. ”Divorce and Remarriage From the Early Church To John Wesley.” Trinity Journal, 11.2 (1990): 131 – 142. Web. 14 Jul 2016.
