The editorial of September 10, Bishops’ Guidance On Matter Of Conscience, touched on the question of voting for divorce and pointed out that our bishops have not as yet given a clear moral answer to it. I would say the bishops have answered it, but only indirectly and implicitly.

Divorce is the dissolution of a validly contracted marriage by a human person. It is always a grave sin. Christ himself has pointed this out to us: “What God has joined together let no man put asunder” (Mk 10.9). The Catholic Church in her Catechism speaks clearly about the evil of divorce and says that “it is a grave offence against the natural law” (Par.2384). So Christ and his Church put our minds at rest about the intrinsic immorality of divorce.

This leads to the question of voting for divorce. Morally speaking, voting in itself is an indifferent act. It becomes good or evil according to the object of voting. Voting for something good is morally good, voting for something evil is morally evil. Besides, abstaining from voting against an evil when an evil is at stake is equally evil.

In our case we have no divorce legislation. So, can one vote for divorce without sinning seriously against God? The answer is definitely “no”, because if divorce is intrinsically evil, voting for evil is also intrinsically evil. Abstaining wilfully from voting against divorce is also evil. It is a grave sin of omission.

Another principle of morality explicitly says that the end does not justify the means. So, also under this principle, even if one were to gather good effects whatever they might be as an effect of voting for divorce, once voting for divorce is evil, one cannot take this step for any reason whatsoever. It is never morally lawful to cooperate directly or indirectly in an act which is in itself evil, even though one anticipates the very greatest good as a result of the act.

If Jesus were among us and being faced with a vote for or against divorce, divorce being of any type, how would he vote?

There can be no justification before God and his Church for resorting to divorce or for voting for divorce. Both are grave sins and both undermine the indissolubility of marriage which is so dear to God.

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