Q&A Home > D > Divorce

How is the Coptic Orthodox church different from all other Christianities in terms of doctrine and dogma related to marriage and divorce?

While divorce is on the rise in the world and among Christians, our Coptic Church follows the teachings of the Holy Bible considering a marriage to be everlasting "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Mt 19:6). Divorce should be strictly forbidden except when adultery is proven "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Mt 19:9). It is true that the Catholic Church does not believe in divorce; but she went around this by granting annulments of marriage for various reasons.