Overview

There are few topics more challenging in the Catholic Church today than divorce. Not only is the reality of divorce incredibly painful for those involved, but few seem to understand what the Catholic Church teaches on the topic. As a result, many stop attending Mass or leave the faith altogether. Whether they experienced divorce weeks ago or years ago, divorcees often feel rejection and shame. Many also fear being judged by their faith communities. Many people who have divorced say they felt as though they were seen as losers because they are judged to have somehow failed to do the things necessary to keep their marriage together. Of course, all of us would rather not have to endure the traumatic pain of a divorce — no one welcomes pain. Perhaps the reason we experience such intense pain when divorcing is because we realize a part of our self is now gone forever. Healing from a divorce is not something that can be scheduled. It does not happen within the context of our own pre-determined time constraints. And obviously, there is no such thing as getting our life back to normal after a divorce because our life is forever changed. We are compelled to re-define a new sense of normal for our lives Many Catholics remain in the dark about the pastoral resources and options the Church can offer. Men and women who had previously felt so lost, estranged or had even left the Church, are now eagerly returning and becoming active members in their parish.