Divorce is an attempt to dissolve through civil law a marriage bond that can never be broken, except by death. So, then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Divorce with remarriage is never permitted by the Church. The Church might permit a couple to obtain a civil divorce for legal reasons, but in God s eyes the couple is only separated. Neither may marry again while his or her spouse is still living.
Catholics living in an invalid marriage have particular pastoral needs.
Adultery, which is sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not his or her spouse, and polygamy, which is taking more than one spouse, are both sins against the undivided and exclusive nature of conjugal love. Children are a living reflection of a couple s love, a permanent sign of their unity and a living synthesis of their fatherhood and motherhood. A valid marriage is not rendered invalid by unforeseen circumstances. If a couple married with the intention of accepting the children God would send them, childlessness does not render the marriage invalid. Their fruitfulness can be expressed in other ways, perhaps by providing a loving home for an adopted child, or by offering hospitality to others, or by works of charity, sacrifice and service.