Pope Francis said contemporary ideas of marriage as an arrangement defined by personal needs promote a mentality of divorce, and he called for better preparation of engaged couples as well as ministry to Catholics whose marriages have failed.

The pope's remarks appeared in a message distributed Feb. 7 to Polish bishops making ad limina visits to Rome to report on the state of their dioceses.

The pope said "marriage today is often considered a form of emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will.

Unfortunately this vision also influences the mentality of Christians, causing them to resort easily to divorce or de facto separation."