Divorce or Separation

Half the journey, and the duo part ways, never to get together again, rather unable to get along any more. It felt like fuming inside—the fidelity to the principle on the one side, the intolerable internal suffocation on the other. At last, the volcano erupted-Separation forever! The marital promises of a lifelong companionship and responsible parenthood, made by both, to each other and the Church, appear now too heavy to abide by and impossible. The Church, the law, the theology—all are ultimately for the good of human beings. The pastors and the moral theologians are caught in a dilemma: 'Does our faithfulness to principles grant us the right to ignore the sufferings of our brethren?' This book aims to be of help to the pastors who are quite often confronted with explosive aspects of married life of their people and bear the inner conflict between the legal and the human aspects of the problem. The discussions herein will certainly contribute to approach such tragic situations with a truly pastoral perspective. Dr. Felix Podimattam OFM Cap., a moral theologian of high repute in national and international circles, has already contributed the humanity with more than 30 books on Morality and Spirituality. He heads the Association of Moral Theologians of India. INTRODUCTION I. WHAT IS PASTORAL MORALITY? II. SOLUTION TO TRAGIC CASES OF MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN A. A Critique of the Present System B. Towards a Better Solution in Principle a. Doctrinal Force of the Church's Teaching on Indissolubility b. The Bible Does Not Exclude Exceptions c. Tradition and Divorce d. Position of Other Churches e. Right Reason and Divorce f. What do People of God Think? g. Answer to Objections C. Towards Realistic Solutions for the Present a. Alertness on the Part of Parish Priests b. Reversal of Favour of the Law c. New Probable Impediments to Consent d. Reconsideration of the Concept of Consummation e. Reconsideration of the Sacramentality of Marriage f. Reconsideration of the Concept of Death as Ground for Dissolubility g. Extension of Pauline and Petrine Privileges h. The Church has the Power to Dissolve Any Marriage i. Internal Forum Solutions