Why are Catholics not allowed to divorce?

Question

I have a friend who is a devout Catholic and he has been in a loveless marriage for more years than I can remember ... he has his lover on the side and when I asked him why he doesn't divorce his wife he said that he will be excommunicated from the RC Church. However, he carries on with his lover as he says the Church does not allow a divorce but you can have your lover.

Is this true? If so, why? I find it all a bit hard to swallow (pardon the pun).

He is also not that worried about sin bcos (using his words) he'll go to confession, say his Hail Marys and Bob's your uncle he goes to heaven.

Answer 1

The Roman Catholic Church does allow divorces and no one will be "ex-communicated" from the church. However, people who have been divorced cannot get married again in the RC church. They have to do it in a civil ceremony.

The RC church encourages women to stay married to abusive, cheating husbands........

NOTE: Annulments cost $40,000 in Italy.
Nothing is hard to swallow in the eyes of RC priests.....pun so intended.

Answer 2

Catholics aren't supposed to divorce because of the phrase 'what god has joined let no man put asunder'. Only death can separate husband and wife. However like all religions it's all in the interpretation. For example C of E allows divorce and yet the priest says exactly the same words in the marriage service.
Some catholics take it all more literally than others. My mum is catholic and she's divorced.
What I can promise you is that the Catholic church does not condone having a lover. Adultery is one of the original sins. Your friend is kidding himself.

Answer 3

The Catholic Church believes that God does not recognize civil divorces.

Jesus said, "Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Mark 10:9)

However there may be hope of a declaration of nullity.

The term "annulment" is a misnomer because the Church does not undo or erase a marriage bond.

Rather the Church issues a declaration of nullity when it discovers that the parties were not truly joined by God and hence a full spiritual sacramental marriage as understood by the Church was not present.

Then the parties are free to marry for the first time.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

He's being as hypocritical as the Catholic faith allows him to be. His wife can't have an on the side affair though. SHE'D be an adulteress! The rules of Catholicism benefit those who do wrong such as, the followers having to report the sexual abuse to the church and not the authorities. That's how the priests got away with it for centuries. It's nothing new what they do the alter boys and girls. Making people keep it in the church allowed them to keep it undercover and made the abuse prevalent and hidden. It's control in order to control. I would NEVER vow to be a catholic and I will never call myself a Christian because I've seen so many people claiming to be that doing some of the things they shouldn't if they wear that label. Mankind is a mess and religion is a mask.

Answer 5

For a start, it is written in the Bible that you can divorce, but only under certain circumstances, ie adultery, but otherwise it is an abomination to the Lord.

Second, I have never heard of the Catholic Church saying he can have a lover. Marriage is sanctified in Heaven.

His wife could, if she knows of his adultery file to divorce on those grounds.

I think that your friend just wants to have his cake and eat it. Just remind him about Judgement Day.

I am not a Catholic, though I have many friends who are, and this goes right accross all denominations, not just Catholicism.

Answer 6

Your friend is wrong in many ways.

No, the catholic church does not allow for extramarital sex. Also, if he believes that the Catholic Church condones this, why is he going to Confession to be absolved of the sin?

Confession without contrition and pennance is pretty useless. Yes, he may be forgiven of the sin of extramarital sex, but there is the more serious sin of blasphemy against God by abusing the sacraments and making an insincere confession that he is left with.

Answer 7

Well... now you can rest assured that what you find hard to swallow is in fact Bull crap. The Catholic Church strongly recommends working it out... but divorcing is not an excommunicating worthy offense. You can divorce... but in order to get a new marraige recognised, an annulment has to be approved. Those are hard to get approved no matter the circumstances.

Answer 8

not sure about the lover part because that is breaking the vows of marriage. and the no divorse part is only partly ture. some catholics are allowed to divorse, but only for good reason, like abuse. the vows are take in a church before God, they make a promise to God. "until death do us part". To break a promise to god is a mortal sin. Mortal sin= bad, damnation, hell, fire and brimstone, and anyother negative christian term.

now then why not divorse and them ask for forgiveness, casue in catholic religion all is forgiven if it is asked for. I don't know the answer to that part.

Answer 9

What? No you can't have your lover. Both are considered sinful - pretty much common sense that. Your mate, if he follows and believes in catholisism will then be punished by going to hell in the afterlife because he is diliberatley commiting this sin with the knowledge of what he is doing wrong. Sounds like a complete tosser to me.

Answer 10

I'm catholic and was married for three years and then divorced. In order for you to remarry in the Catholic church, you would have to get the previous one annulled.
Sounds to me like your friend might just be making excuses so he doesn't have to be the one to file for the divorce, but I don't know your friend.