This is an important question brother Justosh ji peacesign
Thank you for asking.
In my religious tradition, Catholicism there are two different but equally valid viewpoints on divorce: Western (Roman) Catholic and Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic.
Roman Catholicism does not allow for divorce although it does make room for at times a very liberal, flexible understanding of annulment. Eastern Catholicism, on the other hand, does permit divorce out of mercy even though it upholds the eternal nature of marriage as an ideal always.
So for myself being a Catholic of the Roman Rite yet with Eastern Catholic sympathies, this presents something of a dilemna, how two traditions within the same religion, with equal validity and of equal age, can be both true.
In this respect, I go with the Eastern Catholics. Divorce should never be a light matter. Marriage is a sacrament, it is a union not only of bodies nor merely a ritual or contract/property laws but a true spiritual union of souls who commit themselves to each other so as to be companions on the path towards union with God. No two human beings are closer than spouses. They are eyes, ears, legs and much more else besides to each other. When a couple make those promises to each other, they make them for life before God and what God has joined should never be divided, for God is a God of Unity not of division.
Nevertheless we live in an imperfect human world and are imperfect people. Only God is perfect and simple and whole in Himself. We are in the process of becoming one with God. During this journey, things do wrong sometimes badly, and just as God is infinitely merciful we too must have mercy on people for the difficult, at times painful circumstances which result in the breaking of marital promises. Sometimes a couple, even after much effort and the desire to stay together, find themselves unable too and indeed their union may actually be causing decline in their spiritual health and become a barrier to the spiritual progress of both.
Divorce is always an evil but in very extreme circumstances it can be a necessary evil, and there are always guiltless parties ie a wife whose husband has committed adultery, and she is left while he goes off with the other woman. She deserves the same right to happiness as he, especially given the fact that she did no wrong in the breaking of the marriage relationship.
So in essence:
- The ideal is the eternal unity of the married couple until "death do them part"
- We must always try to keep a marriage going
- If all attempts fail, and in extreme circumstances, great mercy and compassion is needed to allow the couple or the guiltless partner to marry again and have happiness.
That's my thoughts :motherlylove:
