INDISSOLUBILITY OF MARRIAGE

Indissolubility of Marriage is a distinct characteristic of Christian marriage. In fact this Christian position is questioned by some religions and many governments and members of civil society today.Although we have   
indirectly mentioned this problem in the previous paragraph dealing with the faithfulness in love as a
characteristic of Christian marriage , we need to clarify certain issues connected with it.


a)The basis of the definitiveness of the marriage bond is founded on the order of creation itself: "Then the man said; this at last is bone of my bones and the flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called woman, for out of man this one was taken. therefore a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife,and they become one flesh"
(Gen. 2, 23-24). From this it is clear that the strength of is resting on the existential complementary of both.


b)Later on the Old Testament the fidelity between the husband and wife is compared to the fidelity of Yahweh
to his people which is irrevocable. Jesus makes this clear in his discussion with Jews that indissolubility of marriage was its original character.( Mk. 10, 2-12 and Mt. 19, 3-9). Marriage bond, in this sense should be
understood as a covenant rather than as a contract . See also  Lk. 16,18.


c) Indissolubility is not based merely on a law of the Church,or on a moral norm, but rooted in the sacramentality of marriage itself. The divine element enters into this bond.


d)The principal of indissolubility is solidly based on Scripture. But in the course of time,as in the case of
O.T, at times there have been some cases of leniency, But these are exceptions and not violation of the
law; but in modern times such exceptions are never entertained.


e) In this context, there is the question of Pauline privilege ( 1Cor. 7, 12ff which cannot be termed divorce
because for us Christian divorce is strictly applied to the breaking of the sacramental bond.In the case of
Pauline Privilege, the sacramental bond is not fully realized; hence there cannot be divorce in the strict sense.


f) The indissolubility of marriage is unambiguously taught by the Council of Trent. Marriage bond cannot 
be dissolved for any reason whatsoever. The only thing that the Church can do is to declare a marriage
null and void, by which she states that the marriage never took place for want of free consent or due to
the presence of certain impediments which invalidate the marriage.


g)A non-consummated marriage can be dissolved by the Roman pontiff for a just cause ( Can.1142).
The just cause can be discord without hope of reconciliation, civil marriage by one party, probable
impotence, incurable disease contacted after marriage,defect of consent. Religious profession invalid-
dating marriage is not mentioned in the present code.

SACRAMENTALITY OF MARRIAGE

Marriage is one of the seven sacraments or symbolic actions of the Church by which Christ continues to accomplish the mystery of redemption. In Christian sacramental system Eucharist has its centrality. All the other sacraments are oriented to the Eucharist.
 Matrimony has a special role in this Eucharist centred sacramental system in as much it prepares the community that celebrates the Eucharist. Sacramentality is not something super-added to the human reality of marriage, but is rather its intrinsic elavation and sanctification through the baptism which the couple has received.
"Authentic married love is caught up into divine love and is governed
and enriched by Christ's redeeming power and the saving power of the Church....For this reason,Christian spouses have a special sacrament by which they are fortified and receive a kind of consecration in the duties and dignity of their state. By virtue of this sacrament, as spouses, they fulfill their conjugal and family and family obligations;they are penetrated by the Spirit of God.This Spirit suffuses their whole lives with faith ,hope and charity" (GS n.48). We shall now analyze and see the various elements that constitute the sacramental process of Christian marriage.

a) Sacraments are efficacious signs of grace.

Sacraments are instituted by Christ.They are efficacious signs of grace.Grace is nothing but the love of God.This is present in the world always; when it is expressed through a sign it becomes experiential. In the sacrament of
of matrimony the couple experience the love of God manifested in Christ's love for the Church,both physically and spiritually.Christ is the one  who acts in the sacraments.The Church is the minister of Christ who makes the
the effects of the sacraments visible. Being a sign of salvation, sacraments also have an eschatological significance,that  is,they are  the prognostic expressions of  the kingdom to come when human love will be permanently taken up and made experiential in the risen body of he saved.

b) Marriage,instituted by Christ as sacrament.

The sacramental nature of marriage cannot be proved by using individual words of institution, It is based on the fact that the marriage bond is related to the saving work of Christ.In the letter to the Ephesians the covenant
between man and wife in marriage is seen as the image of the covenant between Christ and the Church. "Just
as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her,in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the
washing of water by the word,so as to present the church to himself in splendour , without a spot or wrinkle
or anything of the kind-just so that she may be holy and without blemish.In the same way husbands should
love their wives as they do their own bodies....This is a great mystery (sacrament)" (Eph. 5, 25-32). Besides,
there are also the New Testament statements regarding 'marriage in the Lord' which we have already explained.

c) The sign of the sacrament of marriage is the human bond ot love which characterizes every marriage.s

When the baptized enter into this bond,it becomes the sign of Christ's self-gift to the Church by which God's
grace, divine life enters into the life of couple.In order to make this sign authentic, it must be purified of all
selfishness. The love and faithfulness that Christian husbands and wives have for each other are the effective
sign, the fulfilled symbol and the real epiphany of the love of God that has appeared in Jesus Christ. If marriage
represents a special form of being human in Christ that is based on baptism,it is also a special form of sharing
in the death and resurrection of Christ. If marital love is seen as existing under the sign of Christ's cross. It must
also be seen as being sustained by giving and being given

d) Marriage is the sacrament of the Church.

Just as baptism is the ecclesial expression of the faith of the believer in Christ, sacrament of marriage is an ecclesial expression of love that is given and received by the couples which symbolizes Christ's love for the Church. The Church plays an important role in the celebration as well as in living the sacrament of marriage.
That is why Vatican II calls the family a ' domestic Church'. Although it is the bride and bridegroom who give
the sacrament to each other,sacramental marriage is a covenantal act-public and legal-concerning the whole
community of believers.This is the reason why the validity of marriages requires that the marriage be celebrated
in the Church and before the ministers of the Church.

e) Marriage in an eschatological sign.

The festive mood at a wedding is a symbol of the joy and the fulfillment of human hope that will be present at the end of time (Mark 2,19ff, Mt. 22, 1-14; 25,1-13). The means used by God for the growth of the children of God is the sacrament of marriage. Besides,the growth towards the fullness of human life,which is an eschatological goal, will be normally realized through the family where this love is already active.