Mark 10:1–2 – “He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. Crowds again gathered around him, and, as was his custom, he again taught them. Some, testing him, asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’”

At the time of Jesus, divorce among the Jewish people was quite common. Some took the sacred bond of marriage lightly, ending it for trivial reasons—for example, if a wife overcooked breakfast, had a loud voice, or caused irritation. Such reasons were considered grounds for lawful divorce.

Mark 10:3–9 – “He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’
They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.’
But Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But 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, let no one separate.’”

Today, we too are tempted to reinterpret or compromise the teachings of Jesus to suit our times. However, the Catholic Church does not grant divorces. What it may grant is an annulment, which means that a true sacramental marriage never took place due to missing conditions at the time of the wedding—such as lack of consent, coercion, or deceit.

For instance, imagine a couple marries, but only later the bride discovers that the groom had serious mental health issues deliberately hidden by his family. He is found to be violent, infertile, and on medication, none of which was disclosed before the wedding. The woman, upon discovering this, leaves the marital home and informs the diocese. After an investigation, the Church may declare the marriage null, as the conditions for a valid sacrament were never met. This is not a divorce—it is an annulment.

For a valid marriage, there must be full consent, openness, and truth from both parties. Hidden illnesses, deceit, or coercion can invalidate a marriage from the beginning.

The Church upholds Jesus’ teaching that “what God has joined together, no one must separate.” So even when difficulties arise—changes in personality, mental health challenges, or addictions—these are not, in themselves, automatic grounds for annulment. Separation may be permitted for safety and well-being, but the spouses remain married in the eyes of the Church unless an annulment is granted.

Annulments are not easy to obtain, especially if the marriage was initially valid. But if deceit or serious issues can be proven to have been present from the beginning, the Church may declare the marriage null.

Marriage and divorce are difficult and sensitive topics. But if we truly wish to follow Christ—knowing this life is not our final destination—we must take His words seriously. Marriage is not merely for this world; it is a sign pointing us to the eternal union with our Bridegroom, Christ.

Let us place our struggles in God’s hands and pray for His grace and strength in our marriages. May we prepare not just for earthly companionship, but for eternal life with the One who calls us His own.