The dissolution of a marriage, understood as a legal termination, presents a complex situation within Catholic doctrine. The Church views marriage as a sacrament, a sacred and indissoluble union established by God. A civil decree that legally ends a marriage does not, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, dissolve the sacramental bond.
The Churchs stance stems from the belief that a validly contracted and consummated marriage is permanent and unbreakable. This understanding is rooted in interpretations of scripture and centuries of theological tradition. While a civil legal ending of a marriage may address legal and financial issues, it does not alter the Church’s view of the individuals as still sacramentally married.