Marriage vs. Divorce

Sect. 9: Married Love // Married love is also faithful and exclusive of all other, and this until death. This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage. Though this fidelity of husband and wife sometimes presents difficulties, no one has the right to assert that it is impossible; it is, on the contrary, always honorable and meritorious. The example of countless married couples proves not only that fidelity is in accord with the nature of marriage, but also that it is the source of profound and enduring happiness.

In this section, the pope is challenging the issue of divorce. The church clearly defines marriage as a lifelong commitment, only broken by death. The pope recognizes that life "presents difficulties," but that no matter what, the husband and wife can work through it. Divorce - or any type of separation between two married people - is unacceptable in the eyes of the Church and the pope. 


This issue can be clearly identified by the rising percentage of marriages that end in divorce. Roughly half of all marriages end in divorce in today's American culture. Although this statistic may not be 100% accurate, it still proves a point - tons of people are getting divorced. Additionally, a study from the University of Iowa found that there is a correlation between loss of virginity before age 18 and a greater occurrences of divorce within the first 10 years of marriage. Americans today have a very different view on marriage and divorce than the pope. 


In my opinion, the issue lies not with the rate of divorce but with the rate of marriage. Couples in today's culture will get married after a few months - then after a year or two, discover that things aren't so great. Then comes divorce, to save the day! 


I think the pope was hinting at this in the quoted statement. "This is how husband and wife understood it on the day on which, fully aware of what they were doing, they freely vowed themselves to one another in marriage." Herein lies the issue - a majority of couples that get married don't understand, and are not fully aware of what they are doing. Marriage is the "right" thing to do - it's a cultural norm and the proverbial "next step" in many relationships. 


The introduction of divorce to the legal system represents the first opposition to the "lifelong marriage" concept put forth by the church. It's subsequent popularity and acceptance into American culture caused the importance of marriage to be severely diminished. What makes a commitment so serious if it can easily be undone and negated? With an easy exit strategy, many couples will get married to "see if it works," and move on to the next partner when it doesn't. 


It's my belief that marriage is intended to be between two people, and for life. I agree with the pope on this topic. However, the American culture-opinion of marriage is vastly different than the pope's version. I think couples should get to know eachother for a few years before getting married - you can't choose to spend the rest of your life with someone without knowing who they truly are. You also must really know someone in order to work through issues that arise during marriage. 


Divorce will always be a big issue - it will most likely never go away, and will only increase in popularity. Popularity doesn't equal righteousness, and therefore it is my opinion that the Church and the pope are correct in their beliefs on the topic of marriage and divorce.