By Andrew Winter
1.
“They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (Matthew 19:6). The Catholic Church has always taught that the consummate bond of marriage between a Christian man and woman cannot be broken by any power on earth except death.
2.
Catholics are required to be married in a Catholic church building by a bishop, priest, or deacon, with at least two other witnesses presiding. Specifications for the wedding ceremony and the text of the vows are given in the Order of Celebrating Matrimony liturgy book.
3.
Marriage is one of the seven sacraments instituted by Christ, but not all valid marriages are sacramental. There are also natural marriages, such as existed before the coming of Christ, like the marriages of Tobit and Sarah, or Boaz and Ruth. Today, marriages involving at least one non-Christian spouse are still valid, real, and good, but they are natural, not sacramental.
4.
The Church is well-equipped to deal with invalid marriages. If the Church, upon careful investigation, discovers that a marriage never took place between two supposed spouses, it can issue a declaration of nullity (often called an annulment). This declaration is not a divorce, but instead decrees that the marriage never happened.
5.
If a non-Christian spouse is baptized, and their non-Christian husband or wife refuses to live with them any longer, the marriage bond can be dissolved by the Church using the Pauline Privilege (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:12-15). This marriage bond can be dissolved only because it is natural, not sacramental, since of course consummated sacramental marriages can never be dissolved. A newly-baptized Catholic can only use the Pauline Privilege if their non-Christian spouse has been thoroughly questioned and still refuses to live peaceably with the newly baptized, and if the newly baptized desires to remarry. Pauline cases are decided directly by the local bishop.
6.
Similar to the Pauline Privilege, the Petrine Privilege is for marriages between one Christian and one non-Christian. Judgment of Petrine cases is reserved to the pope himself, and he can dissolve the natural marriage bond in unusual cases “in favor of the faith” of the baptized spouse. Pauline and Petrine cases are rare, requiring much investigation and many prerequisites.
7.
In very infrequent cases, the pope can also dissolve a marriage bond between two Catholics who were married via the ceremony of the Church, but have not yet consummated the marriage. As with all dissolution exceptions, there must be very grave reason, and these exceptions only highlight the absolute permanence of the sacramental, consummated marriage.
8.
If Protestant spouses are baptized according to the correct formula, their marriage is valid and sacramental, because they are Christians. Marriages between one Catholic and one Protestant are also sacramental, but the wedding must take place in a Catholic church, and the Catholic spouse must promise to keep the faith, and teach it to his or her children. Such marriages between Catholics and Protestants are called mixed marriages.
9.
The Church recognizes that some marriages, though they may be valid and sacramental, can become harmful to one of the parties. The Church allows spouses to separate, and even obtain civil divorces, under grave circumstances such as abuse or neglect. Remembering, however, the sacredness of marriage, the Church teaches that a bill of divorce can never “break” a marriage bond, but is merely useful for legal protection of the separated spouse. Such separated spouses are still married, and cannot marry again unless and until the marriage is declared null.
