Nothing prevents a Catholic person or couple from obtaining a civil divorce from a court, which ends their legal marriage. However, Catholic people seeking to end a marriage within the Catholic church must seek an annulment, or a statement from the Church holding that the marriage never existed. A number of outreach groups exist to bring divorced Catholics fully into the Church, regardless of whether they have obtained an annulment.
History
The Catholic Church recognizes that the Hebrew Scriptures permitted divorce, according to Religious Tolerance. However, the Church interprets Christ's statements in Mark 10:11-12 to reaffirm the permanent nature of marriage and thus prohibit divorce. For many centuries, divorced individuals often left the Church, according to the Catholic Divorce Ministry. In the 1970s, churches, notably the Archdiocese of Boston, began actively working to include Catholics who had been divorced or separated.
The official Catholic position on marriage can be summarized in a few points, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. First, a couple united in Catholic marriage can never be absolutely separated once the marriage has been consummated. Second, non-Catholic marriages "can be dissolved by absolute divorce under certain circumstances in favour of the Faith." Third, a Catholic marriage can be dissolved before it is consummated if one or both spouse takes the vows of a Catholic religious order, or if the spouses seek an act of papal authority. Finally, although the marriage cannot be absolutely dissolved, couples may be granted an "imperfect divorce" allowing them to live separately in cases of adultery or heresy.
Annnulment
An annulment granted by the Catholic Church is necessary for a previously married Catholic who wishes to remarry within the Catholic Church, even if that person's first marriage was not a Catholic marriage. A church-granted annulment is different from a civil annulment, and neither one can substitute for the other. According to I Do Take Two, a couple may ask the Church to determine whether their marriage was a full marriage, according to Church doctrine, and that the Church issue an annulment if it is not. I Do Take Two describes a full Catholic marriage as "a freely chosen commitment between two mature, knowledgeable and capable adults to enter a covenant of love, for life, with priority to spouse and children." If the marriage is found not to meet these criteria, the diocese will issue a declaration of nullity.
Mass Participation
Catholics who have been divorced or separated are still welcome to attend Mass and participate in the Eucharist, according to the Catholic Divorce Ministry. Participation in Mass is a privilege of baptism, not of marriage. During his papacy, Pope John Paul II sought to bring divorced and separated Catholics back into the Mass. A statement he issued on the topic read, "I earnestly call upon pastors and the whole community of the faithful to help the divorced, and with solicitous care to make sure that they do not consider themselves as separated from the Church, for as baptized persons they can, and indeed must, share in her life."
Considerations
A separation, divorce or annulment must be granted by a civil court to allow you to remarry under the law. Civil courts do not recognize annulments or separations granted by the Catholic Church. Likewise, the Church does not recognize separations, divorces or annulments granted by civil courts. Likewise, the Catholic Church does not settle issues of child custody, child support, or spousal support. These issues must be addressed by a civil court. The Catholic Church is concerned only with the sacramental state of marriages.
