Divorce
Marriage is a sacrament through which God gives grace to the married persons and through them to the Church. Though intended to be a life-long commitment, when a marriage ceases to be a vehicle of God's grace, its sacramentality is diminished. The existence of historic vows is not always sufficient cause to perpetuate a marriage.God calls us all to forgiveness and growth; spouses and former spouses must forgive each other, and the people of God must welcome all in their brokenness into God's Family and at the Altar. Forgiveness brings growth and healing, allowing for the possibility that a previously divorced person can enter a new, vital, and sacramental marriage. The Ecumenical Catholic Church specifically recognizes the social pressures which may cause gay or bisexual persons to enter into heterosexual marriages. Some of these marriages are directly fraudulent in that the person knew from the beginning that his/her sexuality was contrary to that implicit in the marriage. Others are "honest mistakes," made at a time when one's personal sexual orientation was either vaguely or inaccurately perceived. Still others were a result of misguided attempts to change one's intrinsic sexual orientation. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding such marriages, the Ecumenical Catholic Church considers them voidable and hence automatic grounds for annulment should one of the partners so desire. The rationale for this annulment is that marriage, like all sacraments, must be entered into with a completely honest intent. Whether deliberately fraudulent, simply a result of a confusion, or anything in between, the marriage was not entered into with a full perspective of the truth, and hence there was not truly a sacrament in the fullest sense of the term. Rather than a true sacramental marriage, the relationship, no matter how tranquil, productive, or outwardly convincing, was a quasimarital relationship in the eyes of this church. (See Canon XX.10.)
The church recognizes that even sacramental marriages may be terminated. While the life-long commitment is an important initial intent and should never be abandoned lightly, there are clear cases in which the overall good of one or more of the married individuals, the children, and others may be better served by a termination of the marriage. There are also cases in which such overall good is not as easily ascertained but in which, nonetheless, it may be a distinct possibility that divorce is the best option. In many cases only the marriage partners themselves are in a position to determine this. We believe that God is more interested in the overall good than in rigid obedience to commitments, even solemn, sacramental commitments. For this reason we recognize the validity of divorce, even though we understand it is the result of human sin.
Furthermore, we recognize that after such a divorce, life goes on. In many cases, such a productive continuance of life may include marriage to another person. As with persons who have never been married, the primary considerations for a second marriage are the same: benefits to the individuals, benefits to the ministry of the Church, benefits to others (including previous and potential children), and an intent of life-long commitment. We should not be in the position of limiting God's ability to bless through the sacrament of marriage simply because one had been involved in a previous marriage. Such a refusal would be roughly akin to refusing Baptism to a convert who had previously been dedicated in a Buddhist ceremony or refusing full church membership to a person who once belonged to a different denomination.
The church should not be afraid to publicly acknowledge the termination of a marriage. In many cases, such an admission and its associated focus on the future is a valuable healing process and a means to propel the divorced people, their families, and their friends into the regained positive outlook it is intended to provide.
The church recognizes that even sacramental marriages may be terminated. While the life-long commitment is an important initial intent and should never be abandoned lightly, there are clear cases in which the overall good of one or more of the married individuals, the children, and others may be better served by a termination of the marriage. There are also cases in which such overall good is not as easily ascertained but in which, nonetheless, it may be a distinct possibility that divorce is the best option. In many cases only the marriage partners themselves are in a position to determine this. We believe that God is more interested in the overall good than in rigid obedience to commitments, even solemn, sacramental commitments. For this reason we recognize the validity of divorce, even though we understand it is the result of human sin.
Furthermore, we recognize that after such a divorce, life goes on. In many cases, such a productive continuance of life may include marriage to another person. As with persons who have never been married, the primary considerations for a second marriage are the same: benefits to the individuals, benefits to the ministry of the Church, benefits to others (including previous and potential children), and an intent of life-long commitment. We should not be in the position of limiting God's ability to bless through the sacrament of marriage simply because one had been involved in a previous marriage. Such a refusal would be roughly akin to refusing Baptism to a convert who had previously been dedicated in a Buddhist ceremony or refusing full church membership to a person who once belonged to a different denomination.
The church should not be afraid to publicly acknowledge the termination of a marriage. In many cases, such an admission and its associated focus on the future is a valuable healing process and a means to propel the divorced people, their families, and their friends into the regained positive outlook it is intended to provide.
