New Jersey Catholic Conference

149 North Warren Street · Trenton, New Jersey 08608

(609) 989-1120 · Fax (609) 989-1152

E-mail: info@njcathconf.com

Web: www.njcathconf.com

Patrick R. Brannigan

Executive Director

October 23, 2006

TO: Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee

FROM: Patrick R. Brannigan, Executive Director

RE: Opposition to A-483 – New Six Month Cause of Action for Divorce

The New Jersey Catholic Conference is the public policy arm of the Catholic Bishops and dioceses in New Jersey. The Catholic dioceses operate churches, schools, social service agencies and other facilities which offer services that are available to the 3.2 million Catholics and other people in our state.

The New Jersey Catholic Conference opposes A-483 which would establish as a new ground for divorce the following: “Irreconcilable differences which have caused the breakdown of the marriage for a period of six months and which make it appear that the marriage should be dissolved and that there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.”

Six months is an insufficient period of time to conclude that a marriage should be dissolved. The Conference rejects the proposition that divorce is inevitable and therefore the Legislature should take action to permit two parties to begin to dissolve a marriage in a somewhat amicable fashion after a six month period of differences.

At a time of increasing acceptance of divorce, the New Jersey Catholic Conference calls for increased support for married couples and families rather than Legislative action to facilitate divorce. In November 2004, New Jersey’s Bishops and the Bishops throughout the United States began a multi - year, broadly - based collaborative effort to promote, preserve, protect, strengthen and sustain marriage which the Church views as both a sacramental reality and a human institution.

In the National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, the U.S. Catholic Bishops urged churches to become communities of hope and help for marriages and to help build a culture of marriage. The New Jersey Catholic Conference echoes that call.

Establishing a six month threshold for “irreconcilable differences” as a cause of action to our laws of divorce would facilitate divorces rather than support, preserve or reconcile marriages and families.

The Catholic Conference urges the Committee to oppose A-483.

Representing the Archdiocese of Newark, Diocese of Camden, Diocese of Metuchen,

Diocese of Paterson, Diocese of Trenton, Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic and

Our Lady of Deliverance Syriac Catholic Diocese