First, marriage is natural institution ordered to the good of society. The principal fruits of marriage are unity of the spouses, and the gift of new life. Since time immemorial, marriage was seen as a natural, necessary and good commitment between a man and woman. Every society has a ceremony which recognizes when the two become one. Jesus, during His earthly ministry elevated marriage to a sacrament, explaining that in marriage their is a love so profound that not only can it create life, but it points to God is a very real and tangible way. Jesus described marriage as a complete gift of self to another. He explained "they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (Matt 19:6) The Sacrament of Marriage is a beautiful covenant and mystery, strengthened by God’s love. God intended the relationship between a man and woman in marriage to mirror the love between Christ and His Church. Because of the sacredness of this union between husband and wife, Christ provided the Church with many graces that flow from the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, as a means of assisting husbands and wives to love each other with a deep and holy love. For this reason the Church has upheld and defended the dignity and sanctity of marriage.

Because Marriage is so central to society, and for most of us it is in married life that we learn to die to ourselves, serve others, and love unconditionally, the Church defends its sanctity. The marriage vows ensure that the husband and wife are entering into the marriage covenant with each other freely (without coercion), fully (with full intent to give yourself fully to the other person), faithfully (with the promise of fidelity), forever (unto death do you part), and fruitfully (desiring and open to the gift of children). The tradition wedding vows express the nature of marriage covenant. "(Name) and (name), have you come here to enter into Marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?"                    "Are you prepared, as you follow the path of Marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?"                        "Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?" The bride and groom respond "I have" or "I am" Priest (or deacon): Since it is your intention to enter into the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church. Groom: I, (name), take you, (name), to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life. Bride: I, (name), take you, (name), to be my husband. I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.

Baptized Catholics are obligated to get married in the Church because we believe it is a sacrament, an outward sign of the invisible graces that are poured out by God into the covenantal relationship of marriage. The Catechism explains "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament." (para. 1601). For a Catholic, the most appropriate place of marriage is in the Church. A recognition of the sanctity of promises. Also, the Church witnesses, celebrates, and strengthens the union. Through marriage, a couple now enters into a new public state of life both in the eyes of the Church and society; therefore, the celebration of the marriage rightfully ought to be public with the vows exchanged before a priest (or other authorized witness of the Church), the witnesses (usually the Best Man and Maid of Honor), and the faithful gathered for the ceremony. (Cf. Catechism, No. 1663.)

Catholics believe that marriage is permanent "until death do you part." When asked about divorce Jesus is clear. "He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” (Matt 19:2-6). Because Catholics believe marriage is a Sacrament and a commitment to each other, to the community and to God, one cannot walk away from it. Simply put, we do not believe it is possible to separate yourself from your vows. There are also situations in which Catholics can separate from their spouse for serious reasons (e.g. abuse, danger to children, etc.) (cf. Catechism 2382), however they are not free to re-marry. They are still married and obligated to their commitment. The Church recognizes this is a great challenge and difficulty, and elevates the heroic virtue of those who are faithful to their vows even while separated. Here is a great article on the challenges of separation and fidelity. However, that does not mean that their are not occasions where serious impediments prevented a couple from fully entering into the marriage in the first place. In these cases the Church can examine the case and determine if there are grounds for an "annulment." An annulment is the process which investigates whether a marriage, was in good faith, realized.

Catholics defend the sanctity, dignity, and indissolubility of marriage, proclaiming the truth that a married man and woman "are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (Matt 19:6) Jesus explains, "I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” In other words, "unless the marriage is unlawful" someone cannot divorce and re-marry another person. In other words, Jesus recognizes that their are some situations in which a marriage, due to a serious impediment, was not fully realized. For a baptized Catholic, the Church has a process (the same process that gave rise to our current judicial practice in the Western world) to investigate and determine whether there was an existing impediment prior to marriage. If so, the Church will declare the marriage "null" that is invalid, and both parties are released from their obligations. This process involves lawyers, judges, witnesses etc. not to make it difficult on the person seeking an annulment, but because we take so seriously the beauty, dignity and sanctity of marriage.

Yes. Wholeheartedly yes. You may still have some other questions: 1) Can I still receive the eucharist? If you are divorced and not re-married, you can go to confession and receive the eucharist. If you are divorced and re-married, you should abstain from receiving the Eucharist until you are able to resolve the situation. (cf. Catechism 1650) Note that while you should abstain from recieving the Eucharist, as many do for a host of reasons, you should still come to Mass, participate in your faith and grow closer to Christ. (cf. Catechism 1651) 2) Can I get remarried? No, your first marriage is assumed valid and you are still obligated to fidelity, unless you have had your previous marriage annulled by the Church. 3) How do I heal from the pain of divorce? In the difficulty and challenges of divorce, it is important to draw close to Jesus, who loves you, and wants what is best for you. The Church's strong defense of the dignity of marriage, is not a judgement against you or your spouse. It's precisely because marriage is meant to be a great good, that we are so heartbroken when it fails. A helpful resource to answer all these question is the book Divorced. Catholic. Now What? by Lisa Duffy and Vince Frese "A must read for divorced men and women, especially if you are Catholic, and the perfect curriculum for parish groups. This book is an indispensable tool for healing, no matter how long you’ve been divorced and is completely Catholic."

Catholics believe that God made us to share in His goodness and likeness. He made us male and female, and commanded us to "be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it." Human sexuality is part of God's plan from the beginning. It is a beautiful part of our humanity and on a physical level it unites us to our spouse and makes possible to gift of new life. The Church upholds the dignity and sanctity of human sexuality and proclaims the truth that sex is ordered to the unity of spouses and the procreation of children. Simply put, there is a natural order to our sexuality and it's meant to be expressed in the permanent relationship of marriage between one man and one women. In other words, not only is the proper use of the gift of our sexuality clearly commanded by God, it is also written into our nature. This is good news! Our sexuality is a beautiful gift from God! And it's a powerful force meant for our good, and for our happiness. However, sex is sadly diminished in our broken world. What was meant to be an expression of self-gift to the other, has turned into selfish, often abusive, and dehumanizing behavior. Chastity is simple being sexually pure. Which means upholding the dignity of sex by reserving it for marriage, and ensuring that in marriage it is unitive (unites the spouse in self gift to each other) and procreative (open to the creation of new life). For this reason Catholics believe that pre-marital sex, sex outside of marriage (i.e. infidelity), and contraception (purposely preventing the natural pro-creative purpose of sex) are gravely disordered against nature and God. Today, in our hyper-sexualized world, the Church's teaching on sex may seem old-fashioned or prudish, but actually it is because of our deep understanding of the human person, and our high regard for the dignity of human sexuality that we proclaim this truth boldly. St. Pope John Paul II dedicated several years of his general audiences and homilies teaching on the Theology of the Body. A rich examination of our humanity and our sexuality. Watch a short introduction from Dr. Christopher West below.