MERGED: Annulments: the Catholic divorce/Requirements & Reasons?

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I meant there are some marriages out side the Church (for non-Catholics) that are considered valid. But it seems that not being married within the Church is grounds for the marriage being invalid, if I am understanding the explanation on the annulment process.
 
But it seems that not being married within the Church is grounds for the marriage being invalid, if I am understanding the explanation on the annulment process.
The general rule is if at least one of the parties is Catholic, and the appropriate dispensation(s) was not obtained, no marriage is deemed to have occurred in the eyes of the Catholic Church (barring certain extreme situations).
 
But the Church acknowledges marriages outside the Church, right?
The other half is still 30,000, hundredfold increase over the sixties. This is a US abuse, the devaluation of marriage vows, one of the reason why the number of marriages plummeted from 415,000 yearly in the sixties to 168,000 in 2010.

I checked the rules, and even my marriage could be annulled in the US. This means that almost no Catholic in the US can be sure that hie/her marriage is valid in the eye of the Church. The opinion that if I do not want to annul it then it is valid, if I want to annul it is invalid is a puked up opinion, merde fro the French and Scheize for the German.
 
The other half is still 30,000, hundredfold increase over the sixties. This is a US abuse, the devaluation of marriage vows, one of the reason why the number of marriages plummeted from 415,000 yearly in the sixties to 168,000 in 2010.

I checked the rules, and even my marriage could be annulled in the US. This means that almost no Catholic in the US can be sure that hie/her marriage is valid in the eye of the Church. The opinion that if I do not want to annul it then it is valid, if I want to annul it is invalid is a puked up opinion, merde fro the French and Scheize for the German.
One can be sure that the marriage is valid per the Church. A putative marriage must have been celebrated according to the required form with the cooperation of the Church (with an exception for extreme cases) so therefore has the appearance of a marriage, and a proper covenent, with no impediments.

Keep in mind that if one of the couple lies so as to not give proper consent, or not reveal an impediment, then a true covenent is not established. That is one factor that can not be controlled. But it is presumed valid.

Canon Law (Latin):

Canon 1057.2 Matrimonial consent is an act of will by which a man and a woman by an irrevocable covenant mutually give and accept one another for the purpose of establishing a marriage.

Canon 1060 Marriage enjoys the favour of law. Consequently, in doubt the validity of a marriage must be upheld until the contrary is proven.

Canon 1061.3 An invalid marriage is said to be putative if it has been celebrated in good faith by at least one party. It ceases to be such when both parties become certain of its nullity.
 
Hi folks,

in this forum I learned that it’s possible to make an annulement of a marriage by the bishop.

I have a concrete case: A friend of my working collegue has been married for 25 years now and has 2 children with his wife.
What would be valid reasons to divorce this marriage/make an annulement?

What are the reasons in general? Is this only up to the bishop, or are there rules by the RCC?

Yours,
in Christ,
Esdra
 
Hi folks,

in this forum I learned that it’s possible to make an annulement of a marriage by the bishop.

I have a concrete case: A friend of my working collegue has been married for 25 years now and has 2 children with his wife.
What would be valid reasons to divorce this marriage/make an annulement?

What are the reasons in general? Is this only up to the bishop, or are there rules by the RCC?

Yours,
in Christ,
Esdra
If your friend is a Catholic then he should speak to his priest as every case is different.
There is not a checklist that gets ticked off.
Secondly an annulment is not a divorce. A declaration of nullity declares that the marriage was not valid in the first place and it is what is known prior to and up to the marriage ceremony that is taken into account. What happens after the marriage is not relevant unless it has some direct bearing on something known prior to the marriage.
 
If your friend is a Catholic then he should speak to his priest as every case is different.
There is not a checklist that gets ticked off.
Secondly an annulment is not a divorce. A declaration of nullity declares that the marriage was not valid in the first place and it is what is known prior to and up to the marriage ceremony that is taken into account. What happens after the marriage is not relevant unless it has some direct bearing on something known prior to the marriage.
He’s a very devout (Charismatic) Catholic.
He has been divorced by the state and now wants an annulement by the Church, as he wants to recieve Holy Communion again.
 
He’s a very devout (Charismatic) Catholic.
He has been divorced by the state and now wants an annulement by the Church, as he wants to recieve Holy Communion again.
Unless he remarried he should be able to go to confession and receive Communion.

As stated above, the best place for him to start is with his Parish priest. If that doesn’t work, he should go to the diocesan office and ask to speak to someone at the Marriage Tribunal.
 
He’s a very devout (Charismatic) Catholic.
He has been divorced by the state and now wants an annulement by the Church, as he wants to recieve Holy Communion again.
He can receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist as long as he is not now in a civil marriage, or living with a woman. He should see a priest and discuss this.
 
He can receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist as long as he is not now in a civil marriage, or living with a woman. He should see a priest and discuss this.
I see. Thank you (to both of you) for your answers.

So, when you are civil divorced you are allowed to recieve Holy Communion, unless you recieve the Sacrament of Reconciliation and doesn’t live together with another woman nor is civil married to her?
 
I see. Thank you (to both of you) for your answers.

So, when you are civil divorced you are allowed to recieve Holy Communion, unless you recieve the Sacrament of Reconciliation and doesn’t live together with another woman nor is civil married to her?
Not sure what you mean by "…unless you receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation…

The bottom line is that your friend is divorced civilly, but still married in the Church. The fact that he no longer lives with his “wife” is not an impediment to receiving the sacraments of reconciliation or communion.

Peace
James
 
Hi folks,

in this forum I learned that it’s possible to make an annulement of a marriage by the bishop.

I have a concrete case: A friend of my working collegue has been married for 25 years now and has 2 children with his wife.
What would be valid reasons to divorce this marriage/make an annulement?

What are the reasons in general? Is this only up to the bishop, or are there rules by the RCC?

Yours,
in Christ,
Esdra
Here’s the basic rules:
  1. One must attain a civil divorce before the Church will ever consider an annulment.
  2. The two basic reasons why an annulment is granted are as follows:

    a. Insufficient quality of consent on the part of either/both parties. For example, if there were any external pressures to get married, such as pregnancy, parents, wanting to get out of the parents’ home, all your friends were getting married and you felt left out, etc.

    b. Inability of either/both parties to live a sacramental married life. For example, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental instability, refusal to have children, etc.
As stated by others, the parish priest should be the starting point.
 
One have to differentiate between the US and European practice. The interpretation of the law is is significantly different, the annulment rate in the US is at least tenfold of the European average.

The Church allows the legal separation only in the case of unforgiven adultery.
 
One have to differentiate between the US and European practice. The interpretation of the law is is significantly different, the annulment rate in the US is at least tenfold of the European average.

The Church allows the legal separation only in the case of unforgiven adultery.
This last statement is incorrect.

CCC
2383 The separation of spouses while maintaining the marriage bond can be legitimate in certain cases provided for by canon law.177
If civil divorce remains the only possible way of ensuring certain legal rights, the care of the children, or the protection of inheritance, it can be tolerated and does not constitute a moral offense.
Canon Law
Can. 1153 §1. If either of the spouses causes grave mental or physical danger to the other spouse or to the offspring or otherwise renders common life too difficult, that spouse gives the other a legitimate cause for leaving, either by decree of the local ordinary or even on his or her own authority if there is danger in delay.
 
Inability of either/both parties to live a sacramental married life. For example, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental instability, refusal to have children, etc.
There is some confusion in this statement. Many of these things may happen during a marriage. The Church does not grant decrees of nullity of marriage for events after marriage as in a civil dissolution of marriage. A decree of nullity may be granted if one of the party’s was Catholic and did not observe canonical form and was not dispensed from canonical form; one of the parties could not validly marry due to an impediment that was not dispensed; one of the parties did not give proper consent.
 
By the book, annulments make sense: a marriage was invalid, therefore you aren’t married. But I’ve heard people requesting annulments that seemed like it was just a way of getting out of a marriage they didn’t like anymore. Without getting too personal, I knew a couple that had a child that were getting an annulment although they were married in the Church, and they were separated.

I hear people say that it’s just the Catholic loophole for divorce. Are annulments often rejected? For what reasons? I get the impression that almost anyone can get an annulment if they just wait long enough for approval.

But this is what I really have a problem with: how do any of us know if our marriages are really valid? I mean people can go for years thinking they’re in a perfectly valid marriage, then maybe they don’t want to be married anymore, and what a relief it must be for them to realize they weren’t really ever married to begin with. But what does that mean for the rest of us who never try to get an annulment?
It means nothing. Do not worry. Be happy in your marriage and continue to Love God and neighbor.

As far as anything else goes, just leave that to those who serve on the tribunals. They are the ones who are charged with making determinations on individual cases and they are the ones who will answer before the Lord if their judgements are false.

Peace
James
 
I would like opinions re: my situation. It’s a bit convoluted but here it is…

My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church in a Catholic Ceremony. I was not Catholic at this time but converted many years later, nor was he a truely committed Catholic. We both were agreeable to using birth control for the first two years of our marriage, after which no further birth control was used because both of us proved to be infertile, not because we consciously wanted to be open to life. There was no conscious effort or true understanding on my part until my conversion to be “open to life” as defined by the Church.

Here it is 20+ years later and we are permanently separated. After less than 6 months my husband (who professes to be a near perfect Catholic) has a steady girlfriend and I am anticipating his attempt to acquire an annulment. I am currious to know if he has grounds based on the above information.

Any opinion would be appreciated.

Thanks

Gracie
 
I would like opinions re: my situation. It’s a bit convoluted but here it is…

My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church in a Catholic Ceremony. I was not Catholic at this time but converted many years later, nor was he a truely committed Catholic. We both were agreeable to using birth control for the first two years of our marriage, after which no further birth control was used because both of us proved to be infertile, not because we consciously wanted to be open to life. There was no conscious effort or true understanding on my part until my conversion to be “open to life” as defined by the Church.

Here it is 20+ years later and we are permanently separated. After less than 6 months my husband (who professes to be a near perfect Catholic) has a steady girlfriend and I am anticipating his attempt to acquire an annulment. I am currious to know if he has grounds based on the above information.

Any opinion would be appreciated.

Thanks

Gracie
Please read this for the detailed explaination of the grounds for annulment. (Touch one, two N one L at the start).

archdiocesesantafe.org/Offices/Tribunal/ExplanationGr.html
 
I would like opinions re: my situation. It’s a bit convoluted but here it is…

My husband and I were married in the Catholic Church in a Catholic Ceremony. I was not Catholic at this time but converted many years later, nor was he a truly committed Catholic. We both were agreeable to using birth control for the first two years of our marriage, after which no further birth control was used because both of us proved to be infertile, not because we consciously wanted to be open to life. There was no conscious effort or true understanding on my part until my conversion to be “open to life” as defined by the Church.

Here it is 20+ years later and we are permanently separated. After less than 6 months my husband (who professes to be a near perfect Catholic) has a steady girlfriend and I am anticipating his attempt to acquire an annulment. I am curious to know if he has grounds based on the above information.

Any opinion would be appreciated.

Thanks

Gracie
First of all - you say that you are separated. Are you not divorced yet? You cannot begin annulment proceedings in the U.S. until a civil divorce is granted.

Second, if you were both agreed before the wedding to the use of ABC, it is possible that this might be grounds for the granting of an annulment.

Peace
James
 
… We both were agreeable to using birth control for the first two years of our marriage, after which no further birth control was used because both of us proved to be infertile, not because we consciously wanted to be open to life. There was no conscious effort or true understanding on my part until my conversion to be “open to life” as defined by the Church.

… I am anticipating his attempt to acquire an annulment. I am currious to know if he has grounds based on the above information. …
Hello Gracie,

It is not required that a couple “consciously wanted to be open to life.” We have to look at it from the other perspective: were you and/or your husband consciously opposed to life, from the beginning of the marriage all the way to the end? That is the important question. What were your intentions at the beginning? No children and no natural relations? Did that intention ever change? Did you ever think “I wish I could have a child.”? What about your husband? Was he always happy to be infertile (or that you were, whatever the case may have been)?

Ultimately, nobody here can give you a definitive answer.

Thanks for your time.
Dan
 
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