Analyzing The Ethical Issue Of Marriage And Divorce

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RE INTERNAL
Marriage and divorce is an ethical issue in the Catholic Church. In the eyes of God the matrimonial bond is sacred. Divorce and remarriage is considered to be one of the deadly sins. Those who are divorced are no longer welcome to be full members of the church; they are not allowed to participate in sacred rituals and practices. Divorce is seen to be an ethical issue due to the moral guidelines around it. Whilst divorce is legal here in New Zealand the questions still remains, is it moral? The analysing of the Catholic Church and how it deals with divorce and the ethics around it shows growth over the years due to societal advances.
Ethical definition:
1. Pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining …show more content…

• Allowed to attend mass but not receive Holy Communion.
• If you are remarried you can receive Holy Communion if the church has annulled your marriage.
Pope Francis has once said the idea of separation can be a morally necessary action to take. This idea is centred on being able to leave an abusive relationship. He emphasizes on the impact abuse can do to children. The importance of giving children a safe and healthy upbringing allows divorce to be morally necessary. Although Pope Francis has said that divorce can be necessary in life threatening cases, he strongly believes that in Gods eyes marriage is sacramental and divorce should have serious thoughts about it as divorce has once meant excommunication from the church and it is a lifelong decision.
The bible has quite a definite view that one should not divorce under any circumstance. Matthew 5:31-32 “It has been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give a certificate of divorce but I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” If a person, who is divorced, remarries, a sin has been committed. One of the Ten Commandments is “thou shall not commit …show more content…

The bible has 2 messages about the acceptance of divorce. One is when Moses allowed divorce due to man’s cruel heart, whereas Jesus does not accept divorce at all. He believed in anyone marrying another after divorce as a deadly sin. The Catechism a sacred text writes about divorce. 2384 “Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death. Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign. Contracting a new union, even if it is recognized by civil law, adds to the gravity of the rupture: the remarried spouse is then in a situation of public and permanent adultery” This passage gives the idea that divorcing not only breaks a contract with one another but with God also. Divorce doesn’t just affect those in the relationship but the family members and friends around. It can create conflict that before divorce would not have been there. However divorce can also result in freedom and safety. The ethical question here is whether divorce should be allowed when it is morally okay such as abuse or whether it should be completely banned and not accepted into society.

In conclusion divorce is an ethical issue as the bible states it is immoral to divorce your husband or wife for any reason except if it is morally necessary in which case God will allow it as he allowed Moses to separate partners.

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