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document "Deacon Manual" please click here.) |
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Separation while the bond endures |
| "Spouses have the duty and right to preserve
conjugal living unless a legitimate cause excuses them."
(CIC #1151) |
| The actual living together of the spouses in
a marriage is essential if the purposes of marriage are to
be attained. The "partnership of the whole of life" (CIC
#1055) that defines marriage and sets it apart from the
single state depends on the couples' actually being
together. The common life (convictus conjugalis)
is a fundamental obligation of marriage; the spouses must be
present to each other in order to bring about the union.
The gravity of the obligation, therefore, is related to the
nature of marriage itself. |
| Nevertheless, marital problems are a
reality, and the reception of holy orders does not confer
immunity to this pervasive human phenomenon.
Situations may arise which make the harmonious living of
married life impossible. While the spouses have a
serious obligation to do all in their power to foster the
common life, a separation may be the only prudent way of
dealing with a relationship that has deteriorated to a point
that is opposite of what a marriage should be. |
| Because of the indissoluble nature of
marriage, the Church give practical witness to the
seriousness of the marital covenant by requiring couples to
submit their case to the Church when separation is
contemplated. (CIC #1152.3) This step, too often
ignored by the partners in a difficult marriage, is
particularly important when the deacon and his wife are
struggling to balance their marriage commitment against the
demands of diaconal ministry. They should not agree to
separation without first taking advantage of the best
available counseling. They have a responsibility to do
whatever is possible to avoid civil divorce and to build a
health marriage. When both are willing to honestly
work at conflicts and build a relationship, there is a good
chance divorce can be prevented. |
| When a deacon and his wife separate without
ecclesiastical permission, neither may be deprived of the
sacraments unless one or the other enters a subsequent
marriage without ecclesiastical approval. |
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Civil Divorce |
| All Catholic couples, and especially deacon
couples, should obtain ecclesiastical permission before
initiating a civil divorce action. Written
notification should be sent to the Bishop that divorce has
become the last option available. Whether or not this
prior permission is obtained, a final decree of civil
divorce is not, in and of itself, cause for the imposition
of any ecclesiastical penalties. The Bishop may decide
whether the faculties of a deacon who is party to a divorce
should be withdrawn, suspended, or left in effect without
interruption. The Deacon Community has, in these
circumstances, a particular demand placed upon its
charitable and fraternal support of the persons involved. |
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