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Dear Is Mise,

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You wrote :

« Maggots there are a plenty but that doesn't affect the core of Catholicism.»
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say, Is Mise. Apparently, morality is too.

I have no doubt it would take much more than the never-ending onslaught of paedophile attacks by Catholic priests on innocent children for religious zealots to see the light.

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To Peter Sellick.

I see you're addressing the broad topic of changes within the church, as all as with divorce. But I would ask about the theological support for divorce, or for leaders of a church to be divorced men or women.

This is a reality for many people. For one reason or another they get divorced or alternatively they should have considered it long ago due to abuses within the relationship. Some reasons are more controversial then others for why they get divorced. Others hold on through a harmful relationship long after they are encouraged by family to divorce.

With that in mind what are some of the theological support for getting a divorce outside of the reality of it being in our lives or the lives of those around us?

Since this is a common and a practical concern, it's worth exploring the topic.

The cause of divorce is marriage. One of the causes of marriage is the push for people to get into a committed relationship before they are ready for it. Teenagers with active hormones are generally all sexed up, Let them explore their sexuality with adequate instruction in contraception until they are ready for a committed relationship. This can result in fewer abortions, unhappy marriages and fewer divorces.

Raise the legal age of marriage to 21, provide sex education, make contraceptives available and keep abortion legal.

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Pope Francis has issued a 2,000 word letter following the recent Pennsylvania Grand Jury report into clerical child sex abuse in the Catholic Church.

I don't wish to be facetious but, apart from exhorting his followers "to a penitential exercise of prayer and fasting, following the Lord's command", his response basically boils down to a very simple message : "Not to worry. We are already doing all that needs to be done".

More precisely, he declares :

"I am conscious of the effort and work being carried out in various parts of the world to come up with the necessary means to ensure the safety and protection of the integrity of children and of vulnerable adults, as well as implementing zero tolerance and ways of making all those who perpetrate or cover up these crimes accountable. We have delayed in applying these actions and sanctions that are so necessary, yet I am confident that they will help to guarantee a greater culture of care in the present and future".

That's it - just business as usual really.

Here is the speech in full :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-45250452

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To Peter Sellick.

I still hope you'll consider responding about theological support for divorce. This is one area I think is worth putting in the public sphere. Though I'm not a fan of divorce, I know at least one person who was in an abusive relationship but only recently put in for a divorce and took her kids from the abusive father.

There is a need for divorce sometimes, which I think is why God gave laws through Moses to allow divorce. It's not something to take lightly, but it is for our hard hearts and sinful natures a concession to remedy harm we might do to eachother. A last resort kind of thing for a relationship.

As for the woman I know, if she had some support in religous teachings to leave man who hits her when he's drunk, then maybe she wouldn't have waited so long and potentially put her kids at risk too.

You know more theology then I do, so if you have a theological approach I would encourage you to share it. Not for my benifit, but in general for public knowledge to consider from a Christian perspective, not just a secular one.

Dear NNS,

I agree that divorce is not to be taken lightly. However, marriage should not be taken lightly either. When one pushes for a committed relationship before a person is ready for it one is taking marriage lightly. Let people play around until they are ready for a committed realationship.