Pastoral care of marriages in crisis

Abstract

Marriage and family are God’s first commandments for a man and a woman because they are the best way to overcome loneliness - the first evil God mentions after the creation of the human being. A marriage crisis begins when one of the spouses or both begin to break the vows of love, fidelity, and honesty. The pastoral care of marriages in crisis involves reaching out to both spouses and showing them how to resolutely resolve the crisis in a way that is consistent with their marriage vows. This means that a suffering spouse has the right to defend themselves - including deciding on marriage separation - but has no right to break their vows. Pastoral care should also assure the couples that every sacramental marriage can be saved with the help of God.