Joe Kennedy II, one of Bobby Kennedy's 11 children, got his 11 year old annulment reversed by the vatican yesterday or the day before. He and his ex wife live in Boston, as do I, so it was on the local news and in the papers. I was kind of aware of the annulment thing, but it made me wonder why divorce was such a big deal in Catholicism, or not recognized, or whatever. I realize this group is supposed to be humor-centric, or at least Gene-centric, but Gene talks about religion all the time so I though y'all might have some insight. Several folks have mentioned their Catholic school upbringing, so I figured they would know more about it than I do. If a topic is not of interest to the chatters it tends to be ignored, so I figured either people would reply or not find it of interest and not reply, in which case it would fade away.
--- In [email protected], "l1ndylady" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Cheating on your spouse breaks the 10 comandments (coveting thy > neighbors wife) > as such it is frowned upon because it is a sin. > Getting an annulment can be easy or hard depending on what dioscese > you live in. In some cases it is not much harder to get then a > divorce in others much harder. > Ellen why are you asking about this? > > --- In [email protected], "Ellen" > <ellengoodman6@> wrote: > > > > yeah, well, you know, people change, and become alcoholics, and > > criminals, and all kinds of fun things. What's the Catholic take > on > > infidelity and marriage and divorce? If someone is unfaithful in > the > > marriage can they still not get divorced, or is that grounds for > > annulment because obviously the marriage was flawed in the first > > place? My understanding is that infidelity in Catholicism is > really > > bad. It's bad in Judaism too, but worse in Catholicism. Not sure > if > > this is the case, though. > > > > --- In [email protected], "dvm8375" > > <muellerdana@> wrote: > > > > > > That's all well and good, Ellen, but in traditional Jewish law, > you > > > would never be allowed to ask for a divorce; only your husband > > > could. My parents were married by an Orthodox rabbi in Israel, > and > > > when my parents separated, she could file the civil proceedings, > > but > > > she had to wait several years for my dad to pursue a "get" (he > > > finally decided he wanted to remarry). The way she describes it, > > it > > > was a pretty humiliating experience, down to my (alchoholic, > > > abusive) father claiming she was an unfit wife and mother and > > > spitting on her. > > > > > > Before getting married in a Catholic church, the couple has to > > > undergo mandatory pre-marriage counseling. Basically, the church > > > takes marriage seriously, and wants to do everything to encourage > > > couples to only enter the sacrament if they can stick it out, > > > therefore making divorce unnecessary. > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Ellen" > > > <ellengoodman6@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Jewish divorce isn't perfect by any means, but at least it > > exists. > > > > BTW at least originally you didn't have to have a legitimate > > > reason > > > > to get divorced. You just told your wife you were getting a > > > divorce > > > > and that was it. Met someone you liked better? No problem. I > > > think > > > > there should be a happy medium between no divorce for any > reason, > > > any > > > > divorce for no reason, but I would take the Jewish process as > the > > > > lesser of 2 evils. > > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "Max H." <MaxH42@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I have found the use/interpretation of the Get by some > Chasidic > > > and > > > > > Lubavicher communities to be as hostile towards women as the > > > > practices of > > > > > many other fundamentalist religions. I think the difference > is > > > > that, as far > > > > > as I am aware, those two sects don't hold significant > political > > > > power over > > > > > any non-believers anywhere in the world, so their beliefs > only > > > hold > > > > sway > > > > > over their adherents, as opposed to some certain > fundamentalist > > > > Christian, > > > > > Muslim, and Hindu sects. > > > > > > > > > > -Max > > > > > > > > > > On 6/21/07, Ellen <ellengoodman6@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Joe Kennedy II's annulment of his first marriage was > reversed > > > 11 > > > > > > years after the divorce, and he has since remarried. in the > > > eyes > > > > of > > > > > > the church he is still married to his first wife > apparently. > > > What > > > > is > > > > > > the deal with Catholics and divorce? Jews have had divorce > no > > > > > > problem since the religion began as far as I can tell. > > > Granted it > > > > > > hasn't always been equitable between genders and there has > to > > > be > > > > > > legitimate reasons, but it's better than it being completely > > > > > > forbidden. Is it because if a divorced person remarries > they > > > are > > > > no > > > > > > longer a virgin and therefore somehow sinful? Is it a sin > to > > > > realize > > > > > > after the fact that you married the wrong person or that > you > > > > simply > > > > > > grew apart? Annulment says the marriage was flawed from the > > > > > > beginning. If you get divorced after 10 or 15 years that > > > probably > > > > > > wasn't the case. I apologize for my naivete, but I truly > > > don't > > > > get > > > > > > it. I guess because my religion's take is so totally > > > different. > > > > > > Jews are like, so you had sex with someone else before you > > met > > > me. > > > > > > That's cool, no problem. You filled out the official > > > paperwork to > > > > > > end it, that's all that matters. > > > > > > > > > > > > This is serious stuff--if you get a divorce but not an > > > annulment > > > > in > > > > > > Catholicism and you remarry you are basically committing > > bigamy > > > > > > apparently. No sacraments, no communion, etc. Can someone > > > please > > > > > > enlighten me as to the underlying reason for this? Thank > you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
