Some are getting mixed up on account of paragraph 2383 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Others even go so far, mistakenly, as to describe it as a case of divorce accepted by the Catholic Church. Par. 2383 states:

“…If civil divorce remains the only possible way of ensuring certain legal rights, the care of the children, or the protection of inheritance, it can be tolerated and does not constitute a moral offence.”

According to par. 2384 “Divorce is a grave offence against the natural law”. A “grave offence” means “a grave sin”. So, how is par. 2383 tolerating it?

This is a case where the validly married spouse is constrained by law of the country to accept divorce as the only possible way for certain legal rights, even to have an effective annulment by the Church. This provision of the Catechism is in no way favouring divorce or rendering it not sinful.

The Church is saying “tolerated”,that is, the action for divorce is made by the validly married spouses externally only, not internally, materially only and not formally, without the intention of having their marriage actually dissolved. So, after the divorce decree, the married spouses still continue to consider their marriage valid before God and the Catholic Church and do not enter into another relationship, let alone contract another marriage, unless, of course, they get a Church annulment.

That is why divorce is here said to be “tolerated” because the spouses (1) are constrained to take that step, (2) do not consider their marriage dissolved and (3) do not enter into another relationship.

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