I realize that some holy orders will take women of all standings, single, divorced, or widowed, but is there anything in the scriptures that supports a woman be giving the right to leave/divorce her husband (and let's say children as well) to become a nun? Or is this a completely ludicrous question?

-- Rachel Smith (marinerrach@yahoo.com), November 17, 2003

Answers

No woman or man may divorce their spouse for any reason. In the event that a putative marriage is being investigated by a church tribunal to determine validity, the church will allow (actually require) the formality of a civil divorce, simply to clear the way legally for proceding with the annulment investigation. However, if the tribunal determines that the marriage is in fact valid, the civil divorce has no standing whatsoever, being, as I said, a mere formality.

I know of no orders which accept married women. Therefore no order will accept a woman who is divorced, but who does not have a writ of nullity from a church tribunal, for a woman in this position is still married. Some orders do accept widowed women, and there is no problem with that.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), November 17, 2003.

Deuteronomy 24 1 If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, 2 and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, 3 and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, 4 then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD . Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

left unclear is is she never remarries then she has not commited adultery.

-- Justin Dancer (jfriartickets@hotmail.com), November 17, 2003.

MT 5:32 Divorce, except on the grounds of unchastity, is wrong. MK 10:11-12 Divorce on any grounds is wrong.

-- justin dancer (jfriartickets@hotmail.com), November 17, 2003.

"what God has joined let no man tear asunder".

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), November 17, 2003.

Then, what does this mean?

Luke 18:28-30

"Then Peter said, 'What about us? We left all we had to follow you.' He said to them, 'I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time and, in the world to come, eternal life'.

The Jerusalem Bible

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-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), November 17, 2003.

And.....

Is it true that Henry VIII's first wife was given the option to divorce only if she became a nun? She refused the offer and instead remained married to Henry, even while Henry remarried to other women.

(If memory serves me right, Queen Katherine from Spain.)

rod..

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-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), November 17, 2003.

Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon.

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-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), November 17, 2003.

I suppose there is a technicallity in all of this. Much like St. Athanasia, who gave permission to her husband to become a monk, did not "divorce", but lived apart. This makes for another problem--still married. She was involved in a convent, but I'm not sure if she was actually a nun.

I'm sure that all of this can get clarified, cuz I'm confused.

rod..

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-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), November 17, 2003.

Hello Rachel,

According to Canon Law (Canon #643), a religious order should not accept a married person whose spouse is still alive. This is a matter of what is called "prior bond." In terms of the example you gave, the pre-existing bond in the woman's marriage impedes her from undertaking the "bonds" associated with the life of a nun. In other words, she is not free to live a life in a religious cloister under a Vow of Celibacy if she has already made a vow to be a married woman. The bond associated with her marriage vow is considered unbreakable until her husband dies, for the words of the vow are, "Until death do we part." The Catholic Church does not deem divorce as being able to sever this bond.

There are some options, however, for a validly married woman (who is not a widow) to engage in a type of religious life. Many religious orders have what is called "third order laity." These are laypeople who belong to a religious community while still living at home and still doing their regular daily routine (job, raising kids, etc.). As you would expect, many of these people are married. My brother's wife, for example, is a Third Order Carmelite. Many Benedictine monasteries also have such programs, the members of which are called Oblates. St. Catherine of Siena was actually a type of third order Dominican (and not a Dominican nun).

Still, there is a big difference between a third order religious and being a full-fledged nun, but a married person's primary vocation in life is to be married (and all the things that go with that). Being a third order religious is a way of spiritually supplimenting this vocation.

I hope this was helpful.

God bless, -Eric F.

P.S., Incidentally, going back to the information I gave concerning Canon Law, the reverse is also true, if a nun leaves her religious order, she is not free to marry until her Holy Vows have been properly dispensed by the Church.

-- Eric Filmer (erfilmer@hotmail.com), November 18, 2003.

Just to clarify something...I realize that my response above did not delve much in the way of scripture, as was requested. But others had already addressed the scriptural aspects of marriage and divorce. My point, then, was to consider the ramifications of those scripture passages upon canon law and the policies of religious orders. Even if a married woman found a scriptural way to support getting a divorce for the sake of becoming a nun, finding a religious order to take her in would still be problematic.

God bless, -Eric F.

-- Eric Filmer (erfilmer@hotmail.com), November 18, 2003.

do you really want the truth. because the bible is truth.. so i would like to give you hope but also give you truth.. it has been said that some of the things i say is aginest the catholic church and that is not my intentions at all, so i will not answer your question but i will let the bible do it.. remember this is directly out of the bible word for word buy the Apostle Paul and is not my opion but Gods, so if any argue with what you are about to read their argument is not with me but with GOD. "Haven't you read, he replied, that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together. lET MAN NOT separate." Matth.19:4-6 "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail." "Anyone who DIVORCES his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Luke16:18 "Anyone who DIVORCES his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." Mark.10:11- 12 by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage." Rom.7:2 "A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, ...." 1 Cor.7:39 "To the married I give this command ( not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must NOT divorce his wife." 1 Cor.7:10- 11 "The Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his." "So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. I hate divorce, says the Lord." Mal.2:14

-- jason kennon (jasonkennon@yahoo.com), December 13, 2003.