Grounds for Annulment?

[she_he]

hello:

“I told him to write everything, but he said (I have not seen it yet) that the paperwork is requesting the “specific” reason for the request.”

In my petition for nullity request i have found nothing asking why i want this nulled.

as far as whats in it, lots of background information from your childhood to now times,
the married couples names SS# addresses, a witness list they will contact people by mail to ask questions about your marriage,life as a couple etc.they want you to describe your spouses childhood.what your thoughts were when you got married
they want to know details about the honeymoon, if you plan to remarry or currently are remarried.they want the story of your dating, your engagement,basically they want to know every time you kissed,made love,had an arguement, planned a child…
then of course they want any info on what you think caused the marital breakdown,
the former spouse will also get a questionaire to fill out.
she dont need to respond for an anullment to happen but she gets the chance.the formerly married couple are considered equals in these determinations.

things your friend will need to finish filling it out
the ability to write a novel,as they want all the info
the marriage certificate,as well as marriage location
divorce decree (certified copies)
baptismal certificate dated within past 6 months.
so that baptismal record from years ago is considered invalid
if he was baptised Catholic your local parrish can get that information for you.
I am going to have a rough time on this one as I am a Lutheran and the church i was baptised in no longer exists (fire)
I just am hoping the lutherans keep as good of records as the catholics do

now on another note from what i have seen posted about marriage in the church etc.
If you plan on getting married in a catholic and from what i have found just about any reputable christian church you will need an anullment esspecially if both parties were baptised (no matter what faith) and were married in any church.
it does not matter if it was the john henry brands local gathewring church
the Catholics as many others see a marriage between 2 Christians as sacramental period
the parts about if one is a catholic etc is just extra.
my first marriage both of us are Lutheran and married in a lutheran church, still binding and recognized by Catholic church
now me and my current fiance could still get married
but it would not be considered sacramental until i get the anullment.

       hope this helps
                         John

 

[puzzleannie]

pira114:

While I agree that it’s really up to the Trubunal, the main reason for me asking all these questions is to understand what the Church would consider grounds for nullity. .

the grounds for nullity include anything that renders full consent impossible or lacking, any impediment in natural law or canon law, and defect in matter or form of the sacrament itself. By definition the list would be exhaustive, and not beneficial in this discussion. There is absolutely no point in someone who is not either one of the parties asking the questions or approaching the tribunal.

The first step as I said before is for one of the parties to lay the facts before the pastor, who will ascertain where to go from there, and assist with the process. If you want an exhaustive treatment of annulmunts, there have been many links posted in prior discussions. Waste of time to rehash it again for the purposes of a hypothetical discussion. For anyone wishing to assist a friend, urge them to contact their pastor, and refrain from offering advice.

 

[puzzleannie]

pira114:

Since she apparently believes divorce for trivial reasons to be O.K., can you assume that she entered the marriage without the intentions of keeping her vows?

nobody can assume anything about someone’s intent, in this matter, which is one of canon law, any more than in a court of civil or criminal law. Courts, judges and legal processes exist to examine and make judgement of fact, not assumptions. For this reason, the matter of validity of a specific marriage is a legal process, and there is a well established protocol to follow. Why waste time on hypothetical discussions based on guesswork and third party assumptions?

 

[matthias]

If you are really interested in learning more about annulments you may want to read a book on it.

Here is one that is highly recommended by Jimmy Akin and Fr. Stravinskas.

Link.

But as stated above it probably is a good to start with your parish priest and the diocese marrage tribunal.

 

[Catholic2003]

Here is an online, 10-part article HOW CAN A MARRIAGE BE DECLARED NULL? by Rev. Michael Smith Foster, J.C.D.

Here is a list of grounds within the general area of “invalidity of matrimonial consent”.

Here is the Church’s canon law relating to marriage.

 

[Catholic2003]

pira114:

Thanks for the link, but now I’m more confused.

If you are expecting to fully understand annulments after a few weeks or even months of study, you are going to be disappointed. The canon law on marriage is not a simple subject.

pira114:

What I got out of it (among other things) is that the Church did not always require Catholics to marry in the Church.

The requirement was put into place at the Council of Trent, in 1563. Prior to that, it was illicit (sinful), but not invalid for Catholics to marry outside the Church.

pira114:

And it may remove that requirement at a later date if it so chooses. Yet, at the same time, it’s a mortal sin to go against the law of the day?

One can even be excommunicated for violating the positive, ecclesiastical law that has been enacted by the Church. Just ask Archbishop Lefevre, founder of the SSPX.

The power of the keys is great indeed.

pira114:

If two people get married outside the Church on Monday, they have commited a mortal sin. If on Friday, the Church repeals the law, and no longer requires Catholics to get married in the Church, are they still sinners? Or is their marriage now O.K.?

It depends on how the Church changes the law. For example, two Protestant second cousins who married in 1982 are in an invalid marriage. After the Church’s canon law was changed in 1983, two Protestant second cousins who then got married had a valid marriage, but the change was not made retroactive to prior invalid marriages.

However, when the Church removed the (U.S. only) excommunication of those who divorced and married outside the Church in 1977, those persons who had already been excommunicated had that excommunication lifted by the repeal.

pira114:

I also read in that article that two Catholics that married outside the Church can have their marriage annulled, then convalidated by the Church.

I’m not sure what this comment in the article was talking about. U.S. tribunals will not accept annulment applications until after the civil divorce is final. However, Catholics married outside the Church do not need to divorce before they can have their marriage convalidated.