During a recent all-day workshop, I had repeated often my view that if one had to go through a divorce, it was a blessing to be Catholic. My point was that our Catholic faith offers so much hope and healing, particularly through the Sacraments, that to have to go through a divorce without them makes the experience so much more difficult. To my surprise, at the end of the workshop, a woman raised her hand and commented that her view of being divorced and Catholic had radically changed by hearing my viewpoint. She stated that before the workshop she felt it was a curse to be divorced and Catholic, given her understanding of the Church’s strict stance on divorce. Her relief and excitement now at being Catholic was obvious.
Our Catholic faith has very clear beliefs that have remained unchanged for 2,000 years. While this provides a bedrock of Truth to build our lives on, it is easy to focus on the dogma of our faith and lose sight of its purpose: to impart the boundless love and mercy of Jesus Christ. He created the Catholic Church, and its Sacraments, to be the channel to this love and mercy for all eternity. Sadly, many Catholics, divorced or not, don’t avail themselves of the Church’s precious, life-changing, gifts nearly enough. Jesus never intended you to go through life’s hardships, especially something as difficult as a divorce, alone. He is always there for you in the Catholic Church. Seek Him there and you will surely find His hope and healing.
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18
Originally posted 2014-06-19 06:00:35.
I wish I could say that I have felt the love and mercy from our church as I make my way through divorce. My priest and deacon at my church turned their back on me once they found out I was divorcing my husband. I have been a member at my parish for 13 years and have been hurt deeply by this. It has made me question our Catholic Faith.
Thank you for your comment, C.L. I am so sorry for your experience with your parish priest and deacon. The Body of Christ is made up of people, and people in general are not perfect. We can all fall short of being the merciful people Christ modeled for us. The great news is that most priests and deacons are very merciful and will loving guide you down the path to recovery from divorce through living your Catholic faith. I suggest you seek out help from a different parish. I would be surprised if you didn’t have a much better experience. The key to recovering from divorce is in fully living your faith. Christ, the Great Healer, is fully present in our Catholic faith. Please don’t give up!