Why does Roman Catholic teaching describe sacramental marriage as an indissoluble union?

In Roman Catholic teaching, marriage is considered a sacrament because it is believed to have a divine origin and serves as an indissoluble union that symbolizes the mystical bond between Christ and his church.1

This doctrine of absolute indissolubility is rooted in the teachings of Jesus regarding the permanence of marriage, which the Church interprets as a binding commitment. By elevating matrimony to a sacrament, the Church emphasizes that the union is sustained by divine grace, rendering it a lifelong commitment that cannot be dissolved by human authority.12

While the Church maintains this rigorous standard, it distinguishes between the indissolubility of a valid, consummated sacramental marriage and the process of annulment. An annulment is not a divorce; rather, it is a formal declaration that a marriage was never validly contracted due to a specific defect or impediment present at the time of the exchange of consent.12