Grounds for Marriage Annulment in the Catholic Church

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And then what? The end result is likely to be the same—it’s not as if this would prevent divorce.
 
JulianN said:
And then what? The end result is likely to be the same—it’s not as if this would prevent divorce.
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Well, if they want to follow the command of Jesus, they should not separate. And you yourself claim they are genuinely seeking to do what is right.
 
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Those two things are not mutually exclusive. You can separate without remarrying. For example, you may be in an abusive marriage, or one with a cheating spouse, that is found valid. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t separate.
 
But again, you are not approaching it as if Jesus is able to heal the valid Sacrament relationship, but assuming it is irreconcilable and encouraging steps be made towards that end.
 
I’m approaching it with an eye toward protecting the innocent spouse and the children.
 
Let me tell you something, my brother.

No pastor/priest sat down with me and my wife and explained 1 Corinthians 7, or even prayed with us together!!!

Please think about that for a moment…
 
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rcwitness said:
But again, you are not approaching it as if Jesus is able to heal the valid Sacrament relationship, but assuming it is irreconcilable and encouraging steps be made towards that end.
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This is also exactly why one needs a civil divorce prior to petitioning the Tribunal. The marriage breakdown must be complete and irreconcilable before determining whether a decree of nullity should be issued.
 
But requiring it to be done doesn’t mean it is willfully been done.
 
No, after. During the time of facing separation
 
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So both of you wanted this conversation and a priest refused? Or the marriage was irretrievably broken, and one party is unwilling to have this conversation?
 
JulianN said:
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rcwitness:
requiring it to be done doesn’t mean it is willfully been done.
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What does this mean?
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Well, I can understand if the relationship naturally has resulted in civil divorce. That was the will of the couple (or at least one spouse). But for the Tribunal to require it, means it may not have naturally gone to that extreme.
 
Rather, if the Tribunal did not require it, you might see petitioners checking to see if they have an “out,” rather than working on their relationships.
 
JulianN said:
So both of you wanted this conversation and a priest refused? Or the marriage was irretrievably broken, and one party is unwilling to have this conversation?
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I had one meeting with my wife and a priest together. The priest said nothing the whole time. No initial prayer. We spoke to each other, and expressed our views on the relationship. She expressed her desire to separate/divorce. Then she asked the priest is she was “right”. He replied, “I am only here for moral support”.

I waited… And nothing more was said, he offered no counsel or prayer.
 
Well, it’s certainly unfortunate he did not offer to pray. That’s surprising.
 
Kinda… But not if you knew him.

The whole thing was a perfect storm.
 
Sorry about that. Our priests should be able to pray with us and offer spiritual guidance and comfort.
 
Yep. And I have made great mistakes too. Worse than that!

But when we realize we have been wrong, try to follow up and repair what is possible.

I actually made a follow up call to him. And then after some time, he called, and I was glad that he showed concern… But he simply asked “can you give me your wife’s phone number?”

He showed no signs of what he thought should happen or encouragement in any direction to me.

So it should be no wonder why many Catholics don’t seek guidance from their pastors. Many aren’t very approachable or pastoral. If they were, people would flock to them, and we at CAF wouldn’t have to be saying “Go talk to your priest” all the time.
 
I can see that he may not have felt able to tell you what should or could happen. So much of that depends on the couple. For example, I believe wholeheartedly that my marriage is valid —but if my spouse ever hit me or cheated on me we would certainly never live together again.

But I also wouldn’t see any grounds for nullity based on that.
 
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