How do divorce and/or remarriage affect my status in the Catholic Church?
The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in Matthew 19:6 “that what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” He continues in verses 8 & 9: “because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries commits adultery.” Following the teachings of Our Lord and Savior the Catholic Church does not accept divorce or the authority of civil governments to grant them. This means that in the eyes of the Catholic Church those who have received civil divorces are in reality still married. You are not living with your spouse, but the marital bond between you remains. We pray as a Church that you are seeking to resolve the differences between you and restore conjugal living. In the meantime, provided that you are living in a state of grace you may continue to receive the sacraments, including the Holy Eucharist, even though you are civilly divorced f
