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Peace

As you know Christian teaching on divorce and remarriage comes from the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels and St. Paul’s letters. St. John the Baptist denounced the marriage of Herodias to her brother-in-law Herod Antipas. Essentially, Herod Antipas wanted the wife of his brother Herod Philip. (Both were sons of King Herod.) St. John had a large following and his public opposition was destabilizing the regime of Herod Antipas according to the historian Josephus. In the New Testament, the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist was portrayed as the result of the scheming of Herodias. In the now famous scene Salome dances for Herod Antipas and gets him to promise her anything in front of all of his guests. Salome asks for the head of St. John on a platter.

Until the 1960′s divorce and remarriage were unacceptable in most Christian denominations. We also know that the institution of marriage has developed over the centuries. The Church has granted annulments and dispensations. King Henry VIII received a dispensation to marry Catherine of Aragon the widow of his brother Arthur. As we know he was not granted a divorce so he could marry Anne Boleyn in the hopes of generating a male heir. If we look at the history of the Catholic Church in these and other situations we can see the influence of political and other forces.

In situations of divorce and remarriage among Catholics, it is best to live up to our vocation to be Christ for others. For people to be attracted to the Church we must be helpful and supportive of the good things they are attempting to do. A lot depends on the relationship we have with the couple. Usually the best course when we want to intervene is to work under the guidance of our pastors. They can often help us bring people to a fuller living of their faith or lay the groundwork for future growth.

I know of several situations in which family members were encouraged by priests back before Vatican II to be supportive of relatives who were divorced and remarried. In these situations, the marriages were eventually blessed by the Church and now two generations have grown up in the faith. There are many good books on Catholic marriage preparation that your pastor can recommend.

Peace and blessings,

Randy