Annulments vs. Divorce

[Trader]

If you were able to obtain an annulment, it would be based on both yours and his state at the time of the wedding. The fact that it was an ugly, or even violent marriage later is not grounds for an annulment. You likely could have gotten one since he was on drugs at the time- but not certainly since you knew it. Your youth would have aided your cause- but the later developments would not- unless they illuminated some fact.

I missed this the first time. I am not picking on you, but this is a very important misconception. It makes absolutely no difference whether or not you know of a possible impediment at the time of the wedding. You cannot agree to or negotiate away valid consent. If one of the parties did not or could not consent to a marriage that would be permanent, faithful, and open to new life, and you prove it, the decree of nullity will be granted.

The marriage tribunal does not judge the morality of the parties, only the facts. If both parties agree to an open marriage, or one party conceals an intent to be unfaithful, the two situations produce an equally invalid marriage.

 

[Trader]

And your main point is SOLID CATECHESIS is what we need to bring back. Especially with the young adults. But how can we blame the Church when their parents won’t even go to church?

I don’t blame the Church in that situation. Parents are the principal educators of their children (It is in the catechism). It is a grave obligation that begins way before they are young adults.

I went to Catholic School for 17 years. All those years of repeating 5th grade add up after a while. I learned all ten commandments in first grade. I had no idea what adultery was, but I knew for sure that if someone asked me to commit adultery, I had to say no!

My mother gave me my one and only drug abuse lesson before I was seven. Mom explained that the doctor gives you medicine when you are sick, but if you take medicine when you are not sick, the medicine can make you sick. I had no idea what getting high was, but I had experienced measles, rubella, chicken pox, scarlet fever, and mumps. There is no way I would have volunteered to get sick again. I never used any illegal drugs and never smoked even one cigarette. My last prescription other than eyeglasses was in 1972.

A lot of parents should be begging for forgiveness while they still can.

 

[rcjksu]

I agree that parents are the principle educators of children but given the modern technological and morally relativistic society we live in, parents can use all the help they can get. Having Christian moral and ethical behavior reinforced and integrated with standard academic courses is an invaluable aid to parents. I wish more Catholic children had access to Catholic Education.

However that digresses from a question I have for anyone out there who has some insight around anullments. If one begins to suspect, say by virtue of understanding the Church’s teaching on annullments more clearly, that there is a chance one’s Sacramental marriage could be anulled; what are the resulting moral and ethical obligations regarding that suspicion (assuming that individual is currently civilly married)?

Thank You

 

[joanofarc2008]

I agree that parents are the principle educators of children but given the modern technological and morally relativistic society we live in, parents can use all the help they can get. Having Christian moral and ethical behavior reinforced and integrated with standard academic courses is an invaluable aid to parents. I wish more Catholic children had access to Catholic Education.

However that digresses from a question I have for anyone out there who has some insight around anullments. If one begins to suspect, say by virtue of understanding the Church’s teaching on annullments more clearly, that there is a chance one’s Sacramental marriage could be anulled; what are the resulting moral and ethical obligations regarding that suspicion (assuming that individual is currently civilly married)?

Thank You

All marriages (that is the one that are done under correct form) are presumed valid until investigated and declared otherwise by a Tribunal. So therefore until one becomes civilly divorced (that is in the US) one cannot have this examination started. In other words if one thinks that their marriage may be invalid then they need to look at the issues within the marriage and work on the marriage. If need be speak to a priest about any really big questions and a possible renewal of vows if one wants to put the issue to complete rest for both parties but the only way to seek annulment is to investigate the marriage after civil divorce.

Now if lack of form is the issue you need to see a priest immediately as at this point you should not be taking Eucharist and convalidation would be needed to correct the situation.