Abstract
Over the centuries, Church leaders have grappled with the issue of marriage and divorce almost unlike any other issue - the volume of theological writings could fill whole libraries. Certainly, the Church's opinion of divorce has changed over time. The paper shows that, today there are one hundred and eleven canons (Church laws) addressing marriage and divorce, but taken as a whole, they outline the Church's strict and fundamental view that divorce is forbidden because it breaks the sacrament of marriage. The paper explains that in the case of marital separation, only an annulment can legitimately separate two people, and even then, only on proper grounds.

From the Paper
"Essentially, the Church interprets Jesus' words and other teachings to mean that marriage is a sacrament. The New Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia defines a sacrament as an "outward sign of inward grace." It is a sign of something sacred and internal - specifically, it is a manifestation of God's grace, which is conferred upon humans. But it is not only a sign, it is an active situation or condition that produces grace. It is also permanent."

Tags:New, Testament, Jesus, Pope, John, Paul, necessitas, convenientiae