marriage annul

[robpac]

how do i go on getting a marriage annul. i have been divorce for 10 years and think i might get remarried.

 

[chris_molter]

You should contact your local Church office. They can direct you to someone who can assist you in the process.

 

[jhcooper]

First, discuss this with your pastor as he initiates the process. You will probably have to file a great deal of paper work, ie., statements by individuals who knew you and your ex-spouse, questionaires, etc. You may have to give oral testimony before a marriage tribunal and your ex-spouse will have the opportunity to rebutt, although many do not as many have already re-married. The entire process is designed to determine if you married under conditions which might have invalidated the marriage, ie., youth, pressure, mental incapacity, etc. You then wait for 6 to 12 months for a finding by the tirbunal. The process varies slightly from place to place. Again, start with your pastor. Most who apply for an annulment are granted the annullment. The worst part is the waiting. Good luck!

 

[thistle]

First, discuss this with your pastor as he initiates the process. You will probably have to file a great deal of paper work, ie., statements by individuals who knew you and your ex-spouse, questionaires, etc. You may have to give oral testimony before a marriage tribunal and your ex-spouse will have the opportunity to rebutt, although many do not as many have already re-married. The entire process is designed to determine if you married under conditions which might have invalidated the marriage, ie., youth, pressure, mental incapacity, etc. You then wait for 6 to 12 months for a finding by the tirbunal. The process varies slightly from place to place. Again, start with your pastor. ** Most who apply for an annulment are granted the annullment. ** The worst part is the waiting. Good luck!

I hope not otherwise that makes a mockery of the whole thing and plays into the hands of non-Catholics who simply say annulments are the Catholic divorce by another name.
Annulments should be difficult to get.

 

[joandarc2008]

I hope not otherwise that makes a mockery of the whole thing and plays into the hands of non-Catholics who simply say annulments are the Catholic divorce by another name.
Annulments should be difficult to get.

I don’t know it could be that maybe the priests that are involved in the initial step of the process may be better at weeding out those that would not qualify for an annulment based on the principles and maybe able to actually counsel the parishioner appropriately. Also, I think many parishioners that know they cannot get an annulment up front will not try. Therefore it could be that most that would actually apply for the annulment and get to that step would actually be able to get it. It would be interesting to actually see stats on this though.

God bless,

 

[thistle]

I don’t know it could be that maybe the priests that are involved in the initial step of the process may be better at weeding out those that would not qualify for an annulment based on the principles and maybe able to actually counsel the parishioner appropriately. Also, I think many parishioners that know they cannot get an annulment up front will not try. Therefore it could be that most that would actually apply for the annulment and get to that step would actually be able to get it. It would be interesting to actually see stats on this though.

God bless,

I don’t have time to hunt for the stats at the moment but what is interesting (and worrying) is that there far are more annulments annually in the USA alone (which only has 6% of the world’s Catholics) than the entire rest of the world together. To me that suggests annulments are far too easy to get in the US.
Annulments should be few and difficult to get.

 

[joandarc2008]

I wonder if the issue is with the number of annulments or the ease of which we marry here in the US.

God bless,

 

[JulianN]

I wonder if the issue is with the number of annulments or the ease of which we marry here in the US.

God bless,

I think the issue may actually have a positive component. In many countries, decrees of nullity are not granted because the parties simply do not bother to file for them. Despite the declining church attendance in the U.S., we still have a much higher degree of adherence than European nations and many other countries.

People who file for decrees of nullity are indicating a level of care about the church and their standing in it. As someone who has worked as a procurator/advocate, I can tell you that there definitely is a “self-selecting” process as we work through the questionnaire; those who do not have grounds often abandon the process at this point.

I would also say to anyone who thinks decrees of nullity should be few and difficult to obtain that I hope neither they, nor anyone about whom they care, ever needs to file for one.

 

[Joe_5859]

I hope not otherwise that makes a mockery of the whole thing and plays into the hands of non-Catholics who simply say annulments are the Catholic divorce by another name.
Annulments should be difficult to get.

Just because many of them are granted doesn’t mean they’re easy to get. It’s a difficult process regardless.

The percentage of annulments granted is somewhat irrelevant. Even if most are approved, it could just mean that those who wouldn’t be approved were weeded out from the get-go. Or it could mean that most people properly discern whether or not to apply for an annulment.

In any case, it shouldn’t be surprising that there are more annulments now than there used to be. Many more people lack an understanding of what marriage is, and many more people are entering into invalid marriages as a result.

 

[Joe_5859]

how do i go on getting a marriage annul. i have been divorce for 10 years and think i might get remarried.

By the way, welcome to CAF!

The only advice we can give is to contact your pastor. The next step will be to contact the Marriage Tribunal office for your diocese (your diocesan website should give contact info for this). You may be able to do the process without your pastor’s involvement (I’ve known people who have), but it’s not the ideal way to go.

God bless you on this journey! You are in my prayers!

 

[robpac]

thank you all…

 

[stbruno]

familyministries.org/resources/index.asp?c_id=65&t_id=7

Here’s more information from our diocese on annulments.

 

[khruuton]

You can either contact your pastor, or the Tribunal of your local Diocese.

The Diocese will assign you an advocate and it may not be your current pastor.

I’m going through the anullment process now. I’ve been divorced for 6 years and I felt the time was right for me to seek the anullment.

My priest informed me that it is becoming more difficult to obtain a decree in favor of being anulled. I believe he said that Pope Benedict XVI has informed the Tribunals to not grant the “easy” ones.

Do not be alarmed by the process. It is very detailed, very thorough and very personal. Many Catholic bashers (even Catholics themselves) complain about the personal nature of the questions involved.

I found them necessary. It is my understanding this is an actual “trial” by canon law. That being the case, it’s necessary for the men involved to hear exactly where the marriage broke down, if there even was a marriage in the eyes of God. There are psychological questions, there are sexual questions, there are family history questions…but they all do come into play with the process.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you through the process. Be open and truthful to your advocate, and on all that you record about your marriage. Remember too, that your ex-spouse has a chance to present their side. If they so choose.

Another complaint you’ll hear from people is the cost of the anullment. In my Diocese (Pittsburgh, PA) the total cost was $650. Considering I’m using the services of canon lawyers I didn’t have a problem with this. In relation to the cost of civil lawyers.

Also, your diocese should give you the chance to have the costs deferred or reduced given your financial status. Our Parish Share campaigns help defer the cost of those who are less fortunate and may not be able to pay the fees involved.

What I have found through my process is the forgiveness it’s allowed me to offer my ex-wife. Granted, she doesn’t feel she deserves to be offered forgiveness…(lol)…but I still have put it out there. I needed to do this in order for me to move forward in Christ.

God bless you and may God find favor with your request!

I wish you all the best!