Divorce in Christianity

Unfortunately, life isn’t perfect and things don’t always work out the way we had planned. It is very common for people who were once in love to go from this

To This

To this...

And eventually to this.....

Divorce in Christianity In Christian law, marriage is a sacred institution. However, a variety of denominations have different approaches to divorce (the legal separation of a married couple). But before looking at the Church teachings on divorce it is important to note what Jesus said about divorce. ´What God has joined together, no man can separate´ Mark ch10 Write this down and explain what it means for Christians.

Divorce in the Church of England Whilst the Church of England does not encourage divorce, it has the structure to help and sympathise with those who find themselves in such a situation. Divorce and the Reformation Until the 16th century CE, the Church in England recognised the the Catholic Church and the Pope's authority. However, when Catherine of Aragon failed to produce a male heir for Henry VIII, and was considered too old to give birth to any more children, Henry wanted to divorce her. The Pope refused permission and so the only way for Henry to get what he wanted was to break away from the Vatican and make divorce legal. The Archbishop of Canterbury granted Henry a divorce in 1533 (under pressure) and Henry made himself head of the Church of England. But just because remarriage is legally allowed, that doesn't mean couples have an automatic right to remarry in church. A little History

Protestant approach to Re-marriage The Protestant Church like the Church of England teaches that marriage is for life. It also recognizes that some marriages sadly do fail. The Church accepts that, in exceptional circumstances, a divorced person may marry again in church. In the Protestant Church the decision of whether a divorced person is allowed to re- marry in church is down to the priest carrying out the wedding. They may try to find out about the intentions of the couple and if it will cause harm to anybody before agreeing to a re-marriage in Church. Write down the two you feel are most important. Does the couple understand that divorce is a breach of God's will for marriage? Do they have a determination for the new marriage to be a life-long faithful partnership? Do they seem willing to explore and grow in the Christian faith? Has enough time passed since the divorce for everyone to have recovered Has either of the parties been divorced more than once? Was their relationship a direct cause of the breakdown of a previous marriage? If a couple are refused a re-marriage in church they can have a civil ceremony and have their marriage blessed in church afterwards.

Charles and Camilla This last question was very important when Prince Charles married the divorcée Camilla Parker Bowles in Had their adultery contributed to the failure of Camilla's first marriage? The Church thought so. The royal couple could not marry in church. They had to marry in a civil ceremony, although church rules allowed their marriage to be blessed in church afterwards.

Divorce in the Catholic Church The Catholic Church has strict guidelines on divorce. The Church considers the bond of marriage to be a sacred bond that cannot be broken. It reflects the words of Jesus ´what God has joined together, no man can separate´. Marriage is both a legal bond on earth and spiritual bond which God has witnessed. The promises made before God cannot be broken. What is permitted in the Catholic church is an Annullment. An annulment, is a declaration that the marriage was never valid in the first place. An annulment will be considered if there is reasonable proof that the bond between the two parties was invalid from the first day of marriage. An annullment can be granted if it is proven: The person was psycholigically unstable at the time of marriage One of the partners has hidden information such as a previous marriage, impotence or infertility. Why is the second point so important?

Re-Marriage in the Catholic Church Catholics believe promises to God cannot be broken therefore divorce and re- marriage is not allowed. Catholics that do re-marry are NOT allowed to take Holy Communion and this is central to their faith. However, re-marriage is allowed if a marriage has been annulled by the church. This is because an annullment recognises that the marriage never took place legally in the first place. Therefore no vows have been broken. Britney Spears got married in Las Vegas over the weekend, but the bashful bride was single again less than 12 hours later. The pop star tied the knot early Saturday with Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel. Alexander was a childhood friend from Spears' hometown of Kentwood. But 12 hours later the pair put the hookup on hold as they arranged an annulment witnessed by several people, including a lawyer. The couple apparently took a joke too far by getting married after drinking heavily all day. Ms. Spears and Mr. Alexander have filed for an annulment which will become official on Monday.