The discussion about the indissolubility of marriage on the margin of Amoris laetitia

Marian Machinek

University of Warmia-Mazury in Olsztyn

Abstract

The indissolubility of sacramental marriage has been over the centuries the crucial point of the teaching of the Catholic Church about marriage based on the Jesus’ expressions about marriage and divorce. The indissolubility of
marriage can be understood in a twofold manner. The first dimension is the moral indissolubility which means a serious moral obligation of being faithful towards the husband. Marriage should not be dissolved but in fact it is dissolved in an increasing number of Christian couples. But there is also the second dimension – the ontological indissolubility. Being a creation of God the sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved, even if the relationship breaks apart. Though Pope Francis emphasizes that the Church’s teaching about marriage remains unchanged, some passages of the Papal Letter cannot be interpreted clearly. As a result, the statements of the particular bishop conferences as well as the guidelines launched by some bishops concerning the pastoral care of divorced and remarried couples are ambiguous. The author of the article stands for the integral keeping of the entire teaching of the church about the indissolubility of the sacramental marriage in every new proposal for the pastoral care
of people living in “irregular” situations.

Keywords:

Amoris laetitia, indissolubility of the marriage, divorced and remarried people, pastoral care, holy communion