Last month’s magazine commented on the Lord Chancellor’s political difficulties over his plans to bring in a bill to amend the law on divorce. These difficulties should have made him reconsider the matter in the light of Scripture; it was certainly a loud voice in God’s providence. However, it was announced in the Queen’s Speech that this measure is to proceed.
A main proposal in the new legislation is to remove the concept of fault from divorce proceedings. But the stubborn fact remains that the Scriptural provision for divorce is very firmly based on fault — of two kinds, adultery and desertion. Whatever may be achieved by proposals for mediation, by making the process of divorce less painful, for children in particular, it can only be a retrograde step to interfere further in the prescriptions of the all-wise God. “He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not He know?” (Ps 94:10). When a secular newspaper can comment, “Marriages may be made in heaven, but it is time the Government gave them a little help on earth”, things have come to a very sorry pass.
It is a sad fact that marriages are breaking down on an unprecedented scale. Yet in all those marriages both bride and bridegroom committed themselves to each other in permanent love. The unwillingness of partners to a marriage to treat with due seriousness their marriage vows, made before God and human witnesses, is a factor in the serious increase in cohabitation. So others who might contemplate marriage ask, Why enter into a marriage if it is likely to break up after a few years? How much better society would function even in human relationships if people would listen to the Word of God! The Bible clearly teaches that the intimate union of a man and a woman is to be a permanent affair — that is, until death. It may seem a harsh statement to many today, but if more people would take it seriously a lot of unnecessary misery would be prevented: sexual relationships are only proper within the commitment and permanence and security which should be provided by the marriage bond.
… And in the Republic of Ireland
Change in the Irish position on divorce has been brought about through a referendum. By the slimmest of margins voters in the Republic have approved Government proposals to legalise divorce. Until now, because of the dominant influence of the Roman Catholic Church, the state has made no provision for divorce, even when, on Scriptural grounds, it is justified. Rome threw all her massive weight against the proposals for change. The Pope asked the Irish people to pray that “the unbreakable bond of marriage” would be preserved. More heavy-handed was the threat by a bishop that Roman Catholics who divorced and remarried would not be entitled to the sacraments of the Church. This shows a peculiar understanding of degrees of heinousness in sin, for even the most vicious terrorists from the IRA are not denied the sacraments. But then Rome’s ideas on discipline always had much more to do with maintaining control of her followers than in promoting morality.
However, though divorce has not existed in Ireland, marriage has been less than unbreakable, because of the possibility of Roman Catholics obtaining an annulment of their marriage. This is the pronouncement that a true marriage never existed. Because, for instance, the priest made a mistake during the marriage ceremony, or the bride or bridegroom claim mental reservation when they made their vows, it is possible to have the Church authorities declare that the marriage never took place — and both husband and wife are free to marry again. A second marriage in these circumstances ought to be bigamy in the eyes of the state, because the state could not but recognise the first marriage as valid. The vows were made; what more can be demanded in any sane and moral system?
“Ireland semper fidelis” (Ireland always faithful) were the last words the Pope said when he was there in 1972. The words were less than infallible. And no wonder that Rome’s hold on Ireland has weakened, with the exposure of so much depravity among her priests.