Introduction Pope Francis has reached a conclusion to revise the restrictions and rules that hold the core of the Catholic religion. During this revolutionary time in our lives, this new idea has become an interesting and new action reflecting the refreshing ideas of this time period. The Pope has revised the process by which a faithful Catholic can obtain an annulment. Pope Francis was quoted in 2014 saying, “Some procedures are so long and so burdensome, and people [are] give up (Burke & Gallagher 2015)." According to the General Social Survey, 28 percent of all Catholic marriages (11 million people) end in divorce (Gallagher, D & Burke, D 2015). Though this may not seem like a problem, divorce is not recognized in the Catholic faith as …show more content…
Only an annulment, the decree that a marriage was not valid from the beginning in the eyes of the church, can end a marriage, according to Canonical Law. An annulment may only be granted through the church due to a ruling that states that preconditions such as free will, psychological maturity, fidelity, and willingness to have children, were not met. If one remarries without an annulment, this is seen as adultery, as one who never left the first marriage, and is a serious sin. This sin results in one’s exclusion from Holy Communion, among other things. In the past, the church tried to forbid divorce and force the faithful to remain married, no matter the reasoning. Even though this has since been changed to include annulments, the process is seen as long, difficult, and expensive, causing many to lose hope or lose faith. Pope Francis is hoping to revise these teachings in an effort to foster a more inclusive approach to those who have lapsed in his or her faith (Gallagher, D & Burke, D 2015; Mendoza, J 2015; Bacon, J 2015; …show more content…
There are three main changes taking place: elimination of a secondary clerical review, granting bishops the ability to quicken the pace of the annulment process to only 30-45 days, and the elimination of the annulment fee, save for a nominal fee for administration. The Vatican hopes that these measures will help to slow the decline of participatory members of the Catholic Church and even, in some cases, to welcome back faithful members who had gone astray. However, this is causing strife with more conservative Catholics who believe that this may be a step in the wrong direction. “Many have argued in recent years that the church should hold a firm line against what they see as widespread sexual immorality,” reporters Delia Gallagher and Daniel Burke of CNN said in September of 2015. But this will hopefully bring about a wonderful change that will positively impact the course of the entire Catholic religion (Gallagher, D & Burke, D 2015; Mendoza, J 2015; Bacon, J
Bill Cosby once said that, “For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked.” J.J. Lewis (1995-2009) This famous comedian could not have been more correct when recognizing that every marriage will face a multiple number of challenges and is often difficult. Couples, once married, must find a way to end any struggles in order for the marriage to be successful. Marital traditions have changed greatly over the centuries and due to this, the opinion of what an ‘ideal marriage” consists of has changed as well. When reviewing the document “On Love and Marriage” the author (a Merchant of Paris) believes that marriage should not be an equal partnership, but one that pleases the husband to avoid conflict. This can be clearly seen through an examination of: the social, and political environment of the late fourteenth century, and the merchant’s opinions on the area of obedience to a husband, and how to avoid infidelity.
Divorce is sweeping across the nation in Christian homes as well as homes that are secular. The majority of these divorce cases occur due to infidelity that has taken place or is taking place in the marriage. Doctor James Dobson takes a look at why divorce rate is so high and offers solutions to those who are on the brink of a divorce. He firmly believes that any marriage is worth saving and every effort should be put forth to stop a divorce from taking place even if one of the spouses has admitted to being unfaithful.
During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church was the epicenter of most people 's lives and it influenced them greatly, and their rulings shaped many societies. In order to encourage civil relations and less greed and bloodshed the Catholic Church installed a rule of no longer allowing divorce. For some time divorce was used in order to sever ties with your spouse when they couldn’t provide an heir, land or financial gain, or as much as another suitor. This led to many divorces and serial marriages, bloodshed and out right injustice. Some may argue that these marriages weren’t entered in with high regards to such a hefty commitment knowing that it could simply be ended whenever either spouse pleased.
It may be a shocking statistic but the divorce rate in America has decreased over the years. Despite the popular belief that the divorce rate has stayed at 50% it has actually been dropping since 1996 and is now right above 40% according to Natalie Angier’s article “The Changing American Family” in The New York Times. With these
At the beginning of the sixteenth century church theologian, Martin Luther, wrote the 95 Theses questioning the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. In this essay I will discuss: the practices of the Roman Catholic Church Martin Luther wanted to reform, what Martin’s specific criticism of the pope was, and the current practices Pope Francis I is interested in refining in the Roman Catholic Church today.
Described as a “precious jewel” by Pope Paul VI, a vow of celibacy, abstaining from marriage and all sexual activity is required for those choosing a life of service in the Roman Catholic Church (Frazee 108). Perhaps one of the most long standing debates within the Roman Catholic Church is the issue of clerical celibacy, in particular for priests. Many ask, does compulsory celibacy for priest have any place in today’s modern world? Some will argue that compulsory celibacy for priest is essential for priest to adequately serve their parishioners as well as to faithfully serve God. While others suggest that this is an antiquated unnatural practice that is harmful for not only the priest but for the Roman Catholic Church. However, in order to adequately answer this question, it is imperative to understand the history of compulsory clerical celibacy in the Roman Catholic faith, as well as the reasoning for the implementation of this practice among clerics.
A century ago, divorce was nearly non-existent due to the cultural and religious pressures placed upon married couples. Though over time Canadians have generally become more tolerate of what was once considered ‘mortal sin’, marital separation and divorce still remain very taboo topics in society. Political leaders are frowned upon when their marriages’ crumble, religions isolate and shun those who break their martial vows and people continue to look down on those who proceed to legally separate their households. With that being said, couples do not just decide to get a divorce for no particular reason. There must be something driving them towards marital dissatisfaction and further, driving them towards divorce.
During the Great Jubilee year, John Paul II gave a relevant speech of apology on behalf of the entire Catholic Church for the serious sins committed by its members for over 2,000 years. Since John Paul II did that, he wished the Church to enter the new millennium with a clean slate, allowing it to speak to and discuss freely with the other religions of the world, including the cultures and nations from a place not only of permanency but also of moral and religious power, having acknowledged in specific ways the crimes, from time to time unbearable, committed by its human origins throughout history. These apologies were hardly accepted, and common apologies for sins committed against the Church and its members have not been imminent. “Catholics distinguish between the holiness of the inevitable sinful nature of men, including the men who serve the Church stated by Thomas E. Woods Jr.” From the Catholic observation point, the Church presents two parts: One representing its divine nature as the untarnished body of Christ, and one directing on the weaknesses of the Church's human members suffering from sin, which does not prevent it from receiving God's forgiveness through the sacraments, however troubled it may be by the sins of its members.... ...
Divorce can be caused by problems such as drugs, adultery, abuse, and money. The United States is a fast-paced country with little to no time to spend on the basic family values it was founded upon. Jobs are more demanding, kids are spending most of their time with people other than their parents, and the economy drains marriages by causing worry and stress. The foundation upon which marriage was built has been shaken.
The topic of homosexuality has stirred up an abundant amount of social controversy throughout history. Within the Catholic Church, it is hard to say how this issue should be dealt with. Many believe that reforms within the Church will become necessary, however the current pope, Pope Francis, does not believe this to be so. This has stirred up a debate among members of the Church. Traditionally, homosexuality in itself is viewed within the Catholic Church as morally evil and it has never been accepted. Pastoral counseling has been offered to allow members of the Church who identify themselves as homosexual to assist them to remain good members of the Church. A reflection on the Church’s history and influences in terms of the development of prejudices against homosexuality may be necessary in order to determine the real root of the issue. Some individuals believe that a change in doctrine is necessary in order to fix the problems regarding homosexuality within the Church, while others stand by Pope Francis and believe that progress can be made without having to undergo such a drastic change. As gay rights continue to become a more apparent issue in today’s global society, the Catholic Church does not need to consider a change in doctrine, however the members if the Church do need to consider following the suggestions of Pope Francis by becoming more open to and tolerant of the idea of homosexuals within the Catholic community.
Sociological Analysis of Divorce as a Social Problem and Proposed Solutions Every year approximately 2.4 million marriages occur. Out of those,2.1 millionwill file for divorce in the United States. These marriage and divorce rates have significantly increased since the years past(Coltrane and Adams, 364).According to Schoen, in the 1950’s, 15 out of 1,000 marriages ended in divorce. In the 1970’s, the rates of divorcedoubled,increasing to 40 per 1,000 marriages. Currently, the rate of marriages resulting in divorce remains the same.
Throughout the years, there has been constant debate to whether priests should remain celibate or should have the option to marry during priesthood. In Catholicism, the Church holds that celibacy is a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church; therefore, it is not something negotiable. Many devoted Catholics view the idea of ending celibacy as an absolutely ridiculous thought, but there are many devoted Catholics who have the opinion that ending celibacy in priesthood could have a positive impact in Catholicism. The questions remain: Which is the proper choice? Do Catholics have authority to change tradition? As a raised Catholic and from a personal standpoint, I believe that celibacy in priesthood is beneficial and that its tradition is quite beautiful. Not only should Catholicism continue with its tradition because it is his...
Divorce has become a phenomenon of the modern world and is grabbing attention of numerous nations as well as the media. Divorce rates are escalating in a global perspective however the increase is not as rapid as it used to be a few decades ago. Developed countries, such as the US, England and Wales are experiencing a gradual decrease in divorce rates and marriage rates since 1980 and is showing no sign of increasing. Divorce affects a wide population especially because of the development of
Webb, Joseph A. and Webb, Patricia L. Divorce and Remarriage: The Trojan Horse Within the Church (Maitland: Xulon Press 2008) 85.
Sex out of wedlock, divorces, childbirth out of wedlock, etc. are all seen as normal circumstances currently. Marriage is an indissoluble bond which means it cannot be broken for the rest of the life after the bond is made. The Church wants to stress the importance of marriage to a relationship and the significance of marriage in reference to Jesus’ loving sacrifice to all. Marriage is a symbol of the sacrifice Jesus made of himself out of love for mankind. Through marriage, the Lord allows us to experience that love with one another as Jesus loves us. Conjugal love can reach that extent of love which all married people are called