The Bishops' statement on divorce

An editorial in the Times of the 14th August quotes the Bishops' statement on divorce.

The Bishops' statement that "The Church... believes that marriage and the family are of fundamental benefit for the individual and society" is not really exact because there is a very important qulaification to marriage and the family. In reality the Catholic Church "believes that 'CATHOLIC' marriage and the 'CATHOLIC' family are of ..."

In fact the Church will give a Catholic marriage to any divorcee who had contracted a prior CIVIL marriage. For the Catholic Church a civil marriage is not only worthless but considers the parties in such a marriage as in a state of sin. The only way such 'sinners' can be in a state of grace is to have their civil marriage dissolved either through divorce or though annulment.

I am not sure of the Church's meaning behind the reference to the family. Cohabiting partners constitute a family yet once again for the Catholic Church such partners are sinners and in order to be in God's grace the partners need to obtain absolution through confession and should either get married in Church or else leave each other.