The teaching of John Paul II on the indissolubility of marriage in some of his documents Cover Image

Nierozerwalność małżeństwa według św. Jana Pawła II na podstawie wybranych dokumentów
The teaching of John Paul II on the indissolubility of marriage in some of his documents

Author(s): Tomasz Mędrek
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion, Pastoral Theology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego
Keywords: theology of the body;theology of marriage and family;the teaching of John Paul II;Christian anthropology;communio personarum;personalism;

Summary/Abstract: Owning to the 2014 and 2015 Synods of Bishops a question has been raised and discussed in a society about admitting the divorced and remarried people to Holy Communion. This question, in fact, pertains to the teaching of the Church on the indissolubility of marriage. John Paul II responding to the crisis caused by the “plague of divorces” showed God’s plan for marriage and family. He claimed that the conversation between Christ and the Pharisees (Mt 19:1–9) was the source of the moral norm about the indissolubility of a marital bond in which Jesus not only confirmed the norm but also reffered to the biblical “beginning”. Following Christ’s teaching, the Pope consequently developed his anthropology based on the account of creation. The foundation of his view on human being is the conciliar teaching that man “cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself” (Gaudium et spes, 24). Marriage is a communion of persons (communio personarum) based on the total and sincere gift of self which demands the indissolubility of the bond. Moreover, the institution of marriage is oriented towards its sacramental fulfilment in Christ. As a sacrament, marriage participates and expresses the unbreakable bond between Christ and the Church. John Paul II was a firm defender of marriage indissolubility who drew his teaching on these two premises, anthropological and sacramental.

  • Issue Year: 2017
  • Issue No: 24
  • Page Range: 127-147
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Polish