Melanie McDonagh’s exposition of the practical difficulties faced by the divorced and remarried, as well as the Church’s generic response to it, was fair and balanced (“When life means life”, 4 October). However, there was something missing from it: reference to God. Jesus’ statement, “What God has joined together, no one should divide” is the principal reason for the Church’s teaching about the permanence of marriage. Yet, officials of the Church constantly refer to the legal term “validity” rather than to the spiritual matter of whether or not a marriage has been formed because it was in accordance with God’s will. These are not always the same. What is required for validity is determined by church office holders and has