JUDGMENT :

Sophy Thomas, J.

“I take you to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's Holy law, in the presence of God, I make this vow.”

In a Christian marriage which is a holy sacrament, the couple enters into a matrimonial covenant by taking this beautiful and meaningful wedding vow, on the fervent hope that it is a partnership of love and life for the whole of their life till death separates them. But, sometimes their beautiful dreams, hopes and aspirations stumble in bitter realities of life, and incompatibilities compel them to part their ways, even when the wedding vow taken by them in the name of God, stares at them.

2. Here is a case where the appellant and respondent, a Christian couple, got married as per the Christian rites and ceremonies taking the wedding vow on 23.10.1988. Both of them are well educated and they hail from respectable and educated families. In their wedlock, two girl children were born. The husband, who is an Engineer cum Yoga Trainer filed O.P.No.1339 of 2009, before the Family Court, Ernakulam t