Msgr. Charles Pope points out to us that one cannot prevent a divorce by banishing the couple in trouble from one's life, or by being so forceful that the couple, so intent on divorce, removes you from their life.
But I am adamant that all divorce is a worse abuse than the abuse it is trying to prevent. I have never known any situation where adding the complication of divorce makes it better.
Nothing has proven this more to me than reading Leila Miller's new book Primal Loss, the book that Msgr Pope was reviewing in the above article. This book shows the lies that marriage is primarily about the married couple, and that children are resilient; rather it shows that the damage done by even the most innocent and friendly of divorces, has philosophical revelations that reverberate down through many future generations.
Likewise, the real life horror story of Moira Greyland's The Last Closet shows us just how bad a mindset based in the possibility of divorce can become for the children. Her parents had an open marriage, raising children who, in their words, were not "hung up" on sex and who were supposedly not prudish. Except it backfired, and of the three children involved in their "family" and the many, many visitors abused by her father, most are not what I would call functioning individuals today; and a few are dead from suicide or various STDs.
I would love to believe that Pope Francis does not know how his words are being translated and twisted to destroy the letter and spirit of the law. Many of his translators should be fired and replaced with the very orthodox, rigid people he seems to hate so much when translated into English. There is a reason why we are rigid and orthodox though: Because we know, beyond any doubt, just how incredibly destructive things can get when we follow what we mistakenly think is the spirit of the law- but ignore the truth to the point that we obliterate both the spirit and the letter of the law.
When we fail to follow The Word made Flesh, it is easy to use the Spirit of the Law to destroy The Letter of The Law.
But I am adamant that all divorce is a worse abuse than the abuse it is trying to prevent. I have never known any situation where adding the complication of divorce makes it better.
Nothing has proven this more to me than reading Leila Miller's new book Primal Loss, the book that Msgr Pope was reviewing in the above article. This book shows the lies that marriage is primarily about the married couple, and that children are resilient; rather it shows that the damage done by even the most innocent and friendly of divorces, has philosophical revelations that reverberate down through many future generations.
Likewise, the real life horror story of Moira Greyland's The Last Closet shows us just how bad a mindset based in the possibility of divorce can become for the children. Her parents had an open marriage, raising children who, in their words, were not "hung up" on sex and who were supposedly not prudish. Except it backfired, and of the three children involved in their "family" and the many, many visitors abused by her father, most are not what I would call functioning individuals today; and a few are dead from suicide or various STDs.
I would love to believe that Pope Francis does not know how his words are being translated and twisted to destroy the letter and spirit of the law. Many of his translators should be fired and replaced with the very orthodox, rigid people he seems to hate so much when translated into English. There is a reason why we are rigid and orthodox though: Because we know, beyond any doubt, just how incredibly destructive things can get when we follow what we mistakenly think is the spirit of the law- but ignore the truth to the point that we obliterate both the spirit and the letter of the law.
When we fail to follow The Word made Flesh, it is easy to use the Spirit of the Law to destroy The Letter of The Law.