I am not divorced and will have been married for 45 years in November. My husband is not religious but has always supported me in the practise of my faith and our child was raised as a Catholic. However we have been on the brink of divorce 3 times, and there are times when I regret standing firm in my faith and doing my best to keep us together. He left for another woman 3 times – 3 different women, and I often wonder whether he regrets not doing so. He says not, but … I know I have regrets. My parish priest the first time it happened told me that he had nothing to say to me, but would pray for me. I was grateful for that, but never asked for help from the church again. I have many friends who have suffered terribly because their spouses left and obtained a civil divorce, and then they were cut off from the sustenance of the Mass. I felt that that was so wrong and unjust. Having ‘celibate’ male priests only is not a good idea at all.{jcomments on}