Is adultry grounds for annulment?

[NottaSaint]

A friend of mine got a divorce because her husband commited adutry. She recently started dating. I told her she needed to get back to church and get an annulment first. She is Catholic and so is her ex. They were married in the catholic church. I told her legally she is divorced but in the eyes of our Lord she is still married and needs to get an annulment if she wants to get involved with another man. Can she get an annulment from this marriage on the grounds of adultry. The ex commited adultry more than once she forgave him several times and tried to make the marriage work but decided she could no longer be with him. I wonder if anone out there has gotten an annulment for this reason and if they are granted in this type of situation.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

Contrary to what some say, a Church annulment is not ‘Catholic divorce.’ An annulment does not disolve a valid marriage. It affirms that a valid marriage never took place because of the absence of one or more essential elments such as psychological maturity or personal freedom to make the committment.

What happens later in the marriage cannot determine the validity of the wedding. So, no adultery later in the marriage is not grounds for an annulment. However, if it can be proven that adultery was present at the time of the wedding, then yes an annulment could be granted.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.