Q. My parents are getting divorced. I don’t understand why the church doesn’t allow that. My mother told me they will be getting an annulment. What will my parents’ annulment have to do with me?

A. Divorce is a very difficult part of life when it happens. I’m sure this is very difficult for your mom and dad as it must be for you. Please know that our loving God wants to be there for you and your family throughout this time.

The answer to the first question you ask, “Why doesn’t the Church allow that” is found in the Bible. First, we read in the book of Genesis, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” (Genesis 2:24). Then, in the Gospels Jesus makes reference to this and confirms it when He answers a question about divorce. He says, “…from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mark 10:6-9).

These Scriptures give us the foundation for what our Church believes about marriage. Basically, we believe that when two people get married they enter into a permanent unbreakable bond that last’s until death. Of course some marriages within our Church do end in divorce. When that happens some will look into an annulment. This is a complicated subject that is best dealt with one on one with your parish priest but let me at least offer a basic understanding on annulments for you. To be continued…