Why does the Catholic Church teach that a valid sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved?
Jesus taught unambiguously: 'What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.' The Church faithfully preserves this teaching: a valid, consummated sacramental marriage between baptised persons cannot be dissolved by any human power or authority.
This indissolubility is not merely a legal rule; it is an ontological spiritual reality. When two baptised Christians give true marital consent, God seals their covenant. This bond mirrors Christ's unconditional, irrevocable fidelity to his Church.
While a civil divorce or physical separation may become necessary in tragic situations (such as domestic violence or safeguarding children), civil divorce cannot break the underlying sacramental bond in the eyes of God. A declaration of nullity (annulment) is different: it is an ecclesiastical tribunal finding that a valid marriage was never established from the beginning due to a grave defect of consent or capacity.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1640
- Matthew 19:6
- Code of Canon Law, can. 1056
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.