When I began my marriage ministry, especially to divorced Catholics and other Christian’s, things were very bleak.
The Republic of Ireland had no divorce at all. Divorcedcandcseperated people were forced to live a lifetime of being regarded as second class citizens – forced to never remarry, living in sin and denied the Sacraments.
In the North it was a bit better as there was civil divorce and remarriage.
But many good Christian people, want God’s blessing on their second union.
This was denied by all the churches.
Such people and couples were modern day lepers.
I believe that IDEALLY every marriage should be for life.
But we do not live in an ideal world and people make mistakes and have tragedies happen to them.
Jesus came into the world to be the BRIDGE between the IDEAL and the REAL.
Jesus was the God man of second chances.the early Christian church people like St Masil of Caesarea allowed second marriages on the grounds of COMPASSION.
Basil said that second marriages were not as “sacramental’ as first marriages, but they should be allowed.
Some of the soundest marriages I’ve seen as second marriages.
In a lot of first marriages people get married too young or for the wrong reason.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 