WHAT GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER...

A MESSAGE FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

The Sunday Gospel of the wedding feast of Cana is often the occasion to reflect on the sacrament of matrimony.  In these dark days, the attacks on this sacrament have become so radical that we tend to forget that, even before Vatican II, the Church was very concerned about the serious trend towards divorce and separation.  The relative triviality of these offences against God seem to be swept aside today, as the horrific onslaught on the family increases daily in fury.  And yet, it is with these offences that the attack began, and we should remind ourselves today that what was merely an increasing trend in the 1960s has now become almost the norm.

We are somewhat sheltered from much of this in our own sheltered traditional family here at St. Margaret Mary’s.  And yet, who among us does not personally know of at least a few cases of persons, even Catholics, who have divorced and re-married?  What was a trend has become a pandemic, one, unfortunately, without a cure.  For while we had a legitimate recourse before Vatican II in the form of “annulments,” what can we do today if we do not recognize the established conciliar Church as having the power to grant them?

While we may regret the loss of this authority, we must simply recognize it as one of the fruits of the Council, along with the abolition of the Mass, the dubious validity of the newchurch sacraments, and the rampant immorality of both clergy and faithful.  We must also remember that very, very few annulments were granted.  Today, even traditional priests are bombarded by couples wondering how they can separate and remarry.  Obviously, we independent priests have no resources to do the research and determine the validity of their marriage.  Nor would we have the authority to grant an annulment even if we could conclude there was an impediment.

It is in some ways a salutary situation in which we find ourselves.  Impediments are generally discovered in the marriage instruction before the wedding, and great care is taken by the announcement of the banns and a final appeal at the wedding itself to make sure nothing could impede the validity of the sacrament.  Married couples should never doubt that they were validly married, and that what God has joined together no man may put asunder, in other words, they may not “divorce”.  Nor should the young and single ever seek their future spouse from among the vast legion of divorced, separated, remarried, and adulterous.

These words may appear harsh in these loose times where adultery and fornication have become the forgotten sisters of abortion and homosexuality.  The Church does not intend to be harsh, but rather to transmit accurately the authentic teaching of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  And that we cannot change even if we wanted to.