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Dist. 35, Art. 1, Q. 6

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 35

Textus Latinus
p. 787

Quaestio VI. Utrum possit fieri divortium, si non praecedat aliqua culpa.

Sexto et ultimo quaeritur, utrum possit fieri divortium, si non praecedat aliqua culpa. Et quod non, videtur.

1. Primae ad Corinthios septimo3: Praecipio non ego, sed Dominus, uxorem a viro non discedere, excepta causa fornicationis: ergo praeceptum est, quod non separentur; sed contra praeceptum non potest quis facere, quin incurrat culpam: ergo etc.

2. Item, Ambrosius super Lucam4: « Dimittis uxorem sine crimine; putas hoc tibi licere, quod lex divina prohibet »: ergo hoc est prohibitum, sine crimine dimittere.

3. Item, verbo ipsius Domini, quod est firmius inter cetera, Matthaei decimo nono5: Qui dimiserit uxorem suam nisi ob fornicationem, moechatur; sed per fornicationem, sive accipiatur large, sive stricte, semper intelligitur culpa: ergo etc.

4. Item, qui legitime coniuncti sunt ad perpetuam et individuam vitae consuetudinem ex matrimonio sunt ligati; qui ergo contra hoc facit, nisi habeat causam, quare debeat rationabiliter facere, matrimonio facit iniuriam; et non est sine peccato facere iniuriam Sacramento6: ergo etc.

5. Item, primae ad Corinthios septimo7: Alligatus es uxori? Noli quaerere solutionem: ergo nisi interveniat culpa sive peccatum, videtur, quod non liceat facere divortium.

Contra:

1. Sicut habetur Extra, de Conversione coniugatorum8, vir et mulier possunt, si volunt, ex consensu mutuo religiones intrare diversas, etiam si non praecedat culpa; sed hoc non fit sine divortio: ergo etc.

2. Item, unusquisque potest licite renuntiare iuri suo9: ergo et quoad cohabitationem et quoad debitum solvendum potest absolvere: ergo etc.

3. Item, uxore volente intrare monasterium, vir potest promoveri ad sacros ordines et ad episcopatum; et hoc totum sine culpa, sicut dicitur de Conversione coniugatorum10, Sane si coniugati: ergo etc.

Iuxta hoc quaeritur, utrum necesse sit, utrumque votum solemne emittere ad hoc, quod divortium possit fieri, et quare.

p. 788
Conclusio. Divortium sine culpa praecedente non potest fieri, nisi utroque ad altiorem statum voluntarie transeunte et voto solemni se obligante.

Respondeo: Dicendum, quod divortium inter legitimas coniuges potest fieri dupliciter: aut ut in eodem statu persistant, aut ut ad frugem melioris vitae transeant. Si, ut in eodem statu persistant; tunc non debet fieri, nisi manifesta culpa praecedat, tum propter periculum, tum propter scandalum. — Si, ut ad frugem melioris vitae transeant; tunc aut uterque est voluntarius, aut alter invitus. Si uterque est voluntarius; tunc potest fieri sine culpa, ita tamen quod uterque votum solemne emittat, et uterque habitum religionis assumat, nisi sit talis persona, « de qua nulla possit oriri suspicio », quae, voto solemni emisso, poterit remanere in domo; sin autem, oportet, utrumque converti, sicut expresse in pluribus decretalibus tangitur de Conversione coniugatorum1: rursus, et tale divortium fieri debet per personam publicam, maxime per episcopum. — Si autem alter vult cohabitare; nullo modo fieri potest nisi per culpam praecedentem.

Et secundum hanc distinctionem respondetur argumentis factis ad utramque partem, sicut patet aspicienti2. — Verumtamen quod ultimo dicit Apostolus, quod alligatus non quaerat solutionem, hoc non dicit, ut dehortetur statum altiorem, sed ut a communione removeat instabilitatem, et ut ostendat, in quolibet statu hominem posse salvari. Unde illud intelligitur, quod non quaerat solutionem, scilicet in praeiudicium uxoris, sicut nec servus libertatem in praeiudicium domini3.

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English Translation

Question VI. Whether a divorce can take place, if no fault precedes.

Sixthly and lastly it is asked whether a divorce can take place, if no fault precedes. And that it cannot, seems [to be the case].

1. First to the Corinthians, chapter seven3: I command, not I but the Lord, that the wife depart not from her husband, except for the cause of fornication: therefore it is commanded that they not be separated; but against a command one cannot act without incurring fault: therefore, etc.

2. Likewise, Ambrose on Luke4: « You dismiss your wife without crime; you think this permitted to you, which the divine law forbids »: therefore this is forbidden, to dismiss [her] without crime.

3. Likewise, by the word of the Lord himself, which is firmer than the rest, Matthew, chapter nineteen5: Whoever dismisses his wife unless for fornication, commits adultery; but by fornication, whether it be taken broadly or strictly, fault is always understood: therefore, etc.

4. Likewise, those who are legitimately joined for a perpetual and undivided common life are bound by matrimony; whoever therefore acts against this, unless he have a cause for which he ought reasonably to do it, inflicts an injury on the matrimony; and it is not without sin to inflict injury on the Sacrament6: therefore, etc.

5. Likewise, first to the Corinthians, chapter seven7: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek release: therefore, unless fault or sin intervene, it seems that it is not permitted to make a divorce.

On the contrary:

1. As is held in the Decretals, On the Conversion of the Married8, a man and a woman can, if they wish, enter different religious [orders] by mutual consent, even if no fault precedes; but this is not done without a divorce: therefore, etc.

2. Likewise, everyone can licitly renounce his own right9: therefore, both as to cohabitation and as to paying the debt he can absolve [himself]: therefore, etc.

3. Likewise, with the wife wishing to enter a monastery, the man can be promoted to sacred orders and to the episcopate; and all this without fault, as is said in On the Conversion of the Married10, Sane si coniugati: therefore, etc.

Alongside this it is asked whether it is necessary for both to make a solemn vow in order that a divorce may take place, and why.

Conclusion. A divorce without a preceding fault cannot take place, unless both, voluntarily passing over to a higher state, bind themselves by a solemn vow.

I respond: It must be said that a divorce between legitimate spouses can take place in two ways: either so that they remain in the same state, or so that they pass over to the fruit of a better life. If [it be] so that they remain in the same state; then it ought not to take place, unless manifest fault precede, both on account of danger and on account of scandal. — If [it be] so that they pass over to the fruit of a better life; then either both are willing, or the other is unwilling. If both are willing; then it can take place without fault, provided, however, that each make a solemn vow, and each take on the habit of religion — unless it be such a person « of whom no suspicion can arise », who, once the solemn vow has been made, will be able to remain in [her] home; but if not, it is necessary that both be converted [to religious life], as is expressly touched upon in several decretals On the Conversion of the Married1: again, such a divorce ought to be made through a public person, especially through a bishop. — But if the other wishes to cohabit; in no way can it take place except through a preceding fault.

And according to this distinction, the arguments made for both parts are answered, as is clear to one who looks2. — Nevertheless, as to what the Apostle says lastly, that the one bound should not seek release, he does not say this to dissuade [anyone] from the higher state, but to remove instability from the community, and to show that in any state a person can be saved. Hence that [saying] is understood [thus]: that he should not seek release, namely to the prejudice of the wife, just as neither [should] a slave [seek] freedom to the prejudice of [his] master3.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 3
    Vers. 10. Verba excepta causa fornicationis habentur Matth. 5, 32.
    [1 Cor. 7,] v. 10. The words except for the cause of fornication are found in Matt. 5, 32.
  2. 4
    Libr. VIII. n. 5: Dimittis ergo uxorem quasi iure, sine crimine; et putas, id tibi licere, quia lex humana non prohibet; sed divina prohibet. Cfr. C. An quod (2.), C. 33. q. 2.
    Book VIII, n. 5: You dismiss your wife as if by right, without crime; and you think it permitted to you, because the human law does not forbid it; but the divine [law] forbids it. Cf. the canon An quod (2), C. 33, q. 2.
  3. 5
    Vers. 9: Quicumque dimiserit... fornicationem, et aliam duxerit, moechatur. — De diversa acceptione fornicationis cfr. infra d. 39. dub. 3.
    [Matt. 19,] v. 9: Whoever dismisses... fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. — On the differing sense of fornication cf. below, d. 39, dub. 3.
  4. 6
    Cod. U sine peccato matrimonio facere iniuriam, quia facit iniuriam Sacramento.
    Codex U [reads] sine peccato matrimonio facere iniuriam, quia facit iniuriam Sacramento.
  5. 7
    Vers. 27. — Inferius Vat. perperam omittit non.
    [1 Cor. 7,] v. 27. — Below, the Vatican [edition] wrongly omits non.
  6. 8
    Libr. III. tit. 32. C. Cum sis (4.).
    [Decretals,] Book III, tit. 32, the canon Cum sis (4).
  7. 9
    Vide supra pag. 567, nota 4. — Inferius post potest cod. K (2a secunda manu) addit alterum, cod. P alter alterum, cod. Q unus alterum.
    See above, p. 567, note 4. — Below, after potest, codex K (by a second hand) adds alterum, codex P [reads] alter alterum, codex Q unus alterum.
  8. 10
    Extra, lib. III. tit. 32. c. 6.
    Decretals, Book III, tit. 32, c. 6.
  9. 1
    Can. paulo superius citato Cum sis et C. Uxoratus (8.), ibid. Cfr. supra pag. 743, nota 5. — Superius pro sin autem... converti [i. e. religionis habitum assumere], quod praebet cod. E (a secunda manu), codd. F G si autem non... converti, et edd. si autem... converti.
    The canon Cum sis, cited a little above, and the canon Uxoratus (8), ibid. Cf. above, p. 743, note 5. — Above, for sin autem... converti [i.e. to take on the habit of religion], which codex E (by a second hand) supplies, codices F G [read] si autem non... converti, and the editions si autem... converti.
  10. 2
    Plures codd. aspicientibus. Inferius pro a communione Vat. a corde, et post unde illud codd. U X addunt sic.
    Several codices [read] aspicientibus. Below, for a communione the Vatican [edition reads] a corde, and after unde illud codices U X add sic.
  11. 3
    Vide scholion ad 4. huius articuli quaest.
    See the scholion on the 4th question of this article. ---
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