Divorce and Remarriage

Many family scholars have begun to argue that a sizable number of low to moderately conflicted marriages can be saved. This subsection is devoted to these types of couples. Should there be some form of abuse or destructive behavior in your marriage, then I would urge you to consult your pastor or a professional counselor for some help. Spouses and couples caught in a pattern of abusive, destructive behavior are unable to help themselves, and need professional help. If these behaviors are absent from your relationship, and you’ve been considering divorce, I urge you to prayerfully review the contents in this subsection. I would then suggest that you make an appointment with your pastor or a couples therapist to discuss ways to revitalize your marriage. 

• Straight Talk About Divorce
We live in a divorce culture. As a result, when compared to previous generations, couples who are unhappy for extended periods of time are more likely to consider divorce as a solution to their unhappiness. The high divorce rate – hovering somewhere between 40 - 50% - validates this. This is a dramatic rise when compared to the early 1960s when the divorce rate was around 10%.
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• Challenges Related to Remarriage and Stepfamily Life
  Dear Fr. Charles, 
  I have concerns related to our faithful who remarry. This is especially true when the children are teens….It seems to me the problems that these remarried couples have are numerous….In an attempt to be more helpful to these couples, can you help me better understand what special problems remarried couples face?
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• Orthodox Patristic Tradition, and Wife Abuse
  It is estimated that 1 out of 6 women in the United States is abused by her partner, and that between 7 - 11% suffer serious injuries (Straus & Gelles, 1986).
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• Rethinking Divorce
  We live in a divorce culture. I’m not trying to be dramatic when offering this observation.
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• Recovering From Infidelity: Part I
  Dear Father Charles,
  
  I recently found out that my husband has been cheating on me for a few months now.  When I confronted him, he denied everything and got really angry.  After we argued, he promised not to have any further contact with her.  Since he made that promise, he continues to talk with her.  I think I have also found more evidence of some cheating.... I have mixed feelings about my marriage, and I don't know what to do.  We have three young children.  I would like to try to save the marriage for their sake.  I am too embarrassed to consult my priest.  I wonder if God is punishing me. I hope you can provide some direction.
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• Recovering From Infidelity: Part II
  Infidelity is a serious breach of trust.  Despite the serious nature of this breach, many couples can and do recover from infidelity. It is not an easy recovery process.
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• Intermarriage Divorce Rates
  One of the most commonly quoted facts about divorce states that just about half of all marriages in America end in divorce. "Half" of all marriages is a vague term; when actual statistics are consulted, some marriages have a far greater success rate then others.  Factors like the age of each spouse, income level, number of children and number of previous marriages all affect the divorce rate statistics.  While an interfaith, inter-race or inter-cultural marriage may have challenges, it will like be more impacted by the same  factors that affect all marriages.
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• Recovering from Divorce
  Over the past thirty years a substantial percentage of marriages in our country have ended in divorce.  Estimates range from thirty to fifty percent.  Yet, these statistics do not begin to tell the entire story.  In the wake of these staggeringly high statistics is a trail of pain and suffering that has negatively impacted hundreds of thousands of souls.
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