Can you quit from a marriage and become a nun?

Answer 1

It's an unusual double standard. Under certain conditions- I am thinking of a French baroness, can"t recall her name, but her husband died as a result of war action, or assassination, and after some soul-searching , she joined a convent, eventually becoming its Mother-Superior, Yes it was Ste Jane Frances de Chantal. She is called (Jane) in the US to minimize confusion with Joan ( Jeanne) of Arc, but really her name was Joan. a Widow can, if there are no conflicting moves- such as dependent children or financial liabilities- become a Religious in certain circumstance- but a Divorcee- this was considered a Big-Time, Top Gun in the armory ( of the Devil?) vice.- cannot, a widow can become a Nun, if there are no conflicting moves- a Divorcee cannot! Around the period following the Kennedy assassination, there was some serious discussion of Jacqueline Kennedy going the route of Ste Jeanne Francoise de Chantal.- it never happened, but the idea was scouted in religious magazines.

Another AnswerI don't think you can, once you are married, you are committed to your spouse until death or divorce (You can only divorce if you spouse has committed adultery during your relationship). I don't know if you can get leave from your husband to become a nun though. Roman Catholic AnswerAs I think the above answers make clear, or are at least trying to: the first part of your question makes the second part kind of academic: You can't normally just "quit" a marriage. If for some reason you are the innocent party in a divorce, and had no obligations such as children to raise, then there should be no canonical barrier to your becoming a nun. However, I know that pre-Vatican II many religious orders would not accept a young woman in the convent if she came from a divorced family - not her divorce - her parents! That was a decision of most of the orders that I know of, whether that is still in effect, I have no idea. But a marriage is a lifetime commitment, if for some reason it has ended, you can always check with an order you might be interested in, arrange a visit, and talk it over with the Mother Superior and find out what the circumstances are that would apply in your case.