Indissolubility of Marriage

"... Man must not break then what God joined together." Mt: 19.6

The Catholic Church teaches that a ratified (sacramentally correct) and consummated marriage between two baptized persons cannot be dissolved by any power on earth except by death of one of the spouses. This is known as indissolubility of marriage.

This is in accordance with Jesus' teaching (Mt 19: 4-6).

God instituted Marriage; Jesus raised marriage to the level of a sacrament. "The love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit" are manifest in marriage and family life.

In marriage, the Love of God and the Life of God, both of which are invisible, are made visible -- Love of God in the love between husband and wife, and the Life-giving power of God in the procreation of children.

However, because not all parties enter into marriage with genuine motives, there may arise fraud or misrepresentation. In such unfortunate events, a marriage has to be ended by annulment or dissolution by the Church.

Details on the above processes are available from the links on the TOP LEFT of this page.

The Church grants annulment or dissolution only after careful enquiry, and after all reconciliation efforts have failed.

The Catholic Church upholds the dignity, sacredness, and permanence of marriage and rates marriage as an intimate, exclusive, responsible, and permanent relationship between a man and a woman, which is directed towards the goodwill of the spouses and the procreation and education of children.

Bible references on marriage

• Matthew Ch. 19
• 1 Cor 7:1-40
• Eph 5:21-33
• Mark Ch. 10
• Luke 16:18

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