Pope John Paul has urged lawyers and judges to avoid working on cases involving divorce, an action he called a plague that has devastated society.

In his comments to members of the Roman Rota, a Vatican court that handles annulments, the pope called on lawyers to avoid using their professional skills to end marriages. He urged them instead to devote their efforts to reconciling couples.

The pontiff acknowledged the difficulties for judges to refuse to hear divorce cases, but he urged them to strive to prevent divorce.

The Roman Catholic Church believes that marriage is indissoluble, insisting that divorce goes against the natural institution of the family.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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