Is annulment just "catholic divorce"?

[AlanFromWichita]

Contarini:

Being attracted to a younger woman isn’t evidence of a personality disorder–it’s evidence that you are a fallen human male, like millions and millions of others. You are covering for a corrupt system here.

Nitpick, perhaps, but I see it almost the way you described it:

I think being attracted to a younger woman is evidence of a normally functioning male body. It was designed that way.

“The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear filled with hearing.”

Cultivating lust and/or becoming involved with her is evidence of a fallen human male.

 

[Timidity]

AmberDale:

So all those pre-arranged marriages that happened so very long ago are invalid?

This is a non-authorative answer, but I would guess not. Arranged marriages were the cultural norm of the time, and the partners were both consenting because of the prevailing norm.

AmberDale:

Using the mentality that ‘forcing’ someone to marry is illogical. I really don’t think that someone is going to hole a gun to your head and force you to marry. And if they do, no one in their right mind, judge or priest will allow it.
Could you imagine standing at the alter with a gun at your head? And the priest marrying you anyway!

You’ve never heard of a shotgun wedding? In any case, the example wasn’t illogical, it was exagerated to make a point. One of the requirements for a valid marriage is consent at the time of the wedding. The gun to the head example merely shows that people can be forced to do things and therefore not have valid consent.

AmberDale:

What about people who get pregnant before marriage and “ROPE” the guys into marrying them? Is that then invalid?

I have heard (though I can’t say for sure) that pregnancy at the time of the wedding can be evidence of a lack of true consent.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Contarini:

OK, I guess I could see a point if the person had actually been proven to have a diagnosed disorder. But like you, this line of thinking just seems too convenient.

If this disorder was apparent when they were married, then too bad. Unless they were both disordered, the other person gets what they signed up for.

If it was apparent when they were married, then at the time the marriage ceremony took place, it was valid.

If it happens some time into the marriage, then sure there is a problem here but an invalid marriage wasn’t the problem.

Either way, these days as we refine categories for people, almost everybody could be given a diagnostic label. That makes it too easy to use the illness as an excuse not to honor one’s promises.

Alan