Annulment Changes?

[MaryT777]

Well, we don’t really know what Pope Francis’s intentions are yet. Everything is in a discussion stage which means anything could happen. Personally, I would like to see things changed regarding the annulment process. I have seen the questions and some of them are such that I think it’s nobody else’s business and certainly wouldn’t want it in writing in some archdiocesan files. So, if it ever came to the point where I would want to marry again in my older age, I would marry anyway and leave the Catholic Church before I would go through the annulment process. Besides, witnesses at this point would be hard to find since some people have died and who knows where most of the others are since there has been no contact for many years.

I agree completely.

 

[His_helpmeet]

1ke;11291069:

By this I presume you mean that either you or your spouse are divorced and you are remarried outside the Church.

I’d like to know if common law marriage of 27 years requires “lack of form” or does the tribunal take a different view on this since the period of time is a very long time. One party Catholic, the other not; the other baptized.

If you have not gone through a marriage ceremony, you are not married. Period. There is nothing for the tribunal to do as no marriage existed.

 

[1ke]

I’d like to know if common law marriage of 27 years requires “lack of form” or does the tribunal take a different view on this since the period of time is a very long time. One party Catholic, the other not; the other baptized.

I’m not entirely sure I understand your question. But, in common law states, a common law marriage is a legal civil marriage. So, yes, the people would be considered civilly married.

A couple who is in a common law marriage would have to obtain a divorce in order to be considered civilly free to marry.

In the US, they would then have to submit their paperwork to their pastor to complete a lack of form administrative case in order to be free to marry another person in the Catholic Church.

If the couple is in a common law marriage and wants to make it a valid marriage in the Church they can convalidate the marriage.

 

[1ke]

If you have not gone through a marriage ceremony, you are not married. Period. There is nothing for the tribunal to do as no marriage existed.

This is not accurate.