Percentage of granted and rejected annulments

[cecilia97]

There is also a very extended questionnaire on your own and “spouse’s” life, which I hear many just give up on. Plus the statements of three or more witnesses, who pretty much get a similar questionnaire. On top of that, there is an analysis by a church-appointed psychologist who interviews the applicant.

And it’s not unusual for a former spouse to fight the annulment, especially where kids are involved.

The questionnaire one has to complete in order to even get the case considered for acceptance is very grueling. Mine ran to about 25 pages of painful history. I spent 6 months writing it. Each of my witnesses wrote about 10-15 pages.

Psychologist are not involved in all cases. I believe this is rare. There was no request for psychological assessment in my case.

A former spouse may object to the nullity petition, but this is not supposed to have much bearing on the outcome. The Church is considering the marriage bond, not the spouses’ opinions of it.

 

[cecilia97]

Contraception has created a culture where recreational sex and immediate gratification are rights akin to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. And this culture of immediate gratification made possible by contraception breeds selfishness, increases the demand for abortion, and has created a whole society which views marriage as something you do to get sex, get help with the laundry, and get more income. Lust is mistaken for love and sacrificing yourself for another is ridiculed.

Many people today, especialy sexually addicted men, promiscuous women, and anyone who supports abortion or contraception probably has no business being married, and further, clearly has no understanding of the sacramental nature of matrimony - that it is modeled on the example of self sacrifcing love within the trinity.

-Tim-

Amen. This was a large part of the problem during my (now annulled) marriage.

 

[cecilia97]

Even if someone shouldn’t get married, or shouldn’t have gotten married that does not make the marriage valid or invalid. The vow is “for better or worse” so, even if it was a mistake b/c of preconceived addictions or behaviors, as long as you understand the vows you are taking it seems the marriage would be valid.

Again, the problem is not just understanding the vows. Both spouses must have the ability to form proper intent to make the vows for a valid marriage.

 

[puzzleannie]

yes there are statistics that are gathered by diocese and reported yearly and the sites that track these and other church related statistics are readily searchable

caveat: your question is imprecise and does not take into account persons who approach the pastor to inquire about annulment, but never initiate a petition either because they are advised they lack grounds or for other good reasons fear they have no strong case. It also does not differentiate between a formal petition for a full annulment investigation, and applicates for lack of form. Obviously all the latter will be granted so if you count them they inflate your stats.

And it’s not unusual for a former spouse to fight the annulment, especially where kids are involved.

you do not “fight” an annulment petition. This is not an adversarial proceeding like a for-fault divorce case. Each party has the same opportunity to complete the interview, giving the facts as they know and believe them to be, and to supply witnesses. That is fact-finding, not fighting. Each party also has 3 chances to appeal the decision in its various phases. That also is not a “fight” and having children is irrelevant since there status is not affected in any way, shape or form.

the answer to OP’s question is simple: yes, there are statistics kept and available. So what is the rest of the topic of discussion, OP can you weigh in here?

 

[Irishpol]

Timothy H is certainly correct when he posits that those who enter into marriage do so for the wrong reasons and with lack of complete commitment––like “for better or for worse”.

The bishops of the Church created the “divorce/annulment.Holy Communion” problem by loosening the rules on annulments. It now appears that Pope Francis is going to double down on this error. A strong and faithful pope would roll back all of the Modernist errors that followed after the 1960’s, and instruct his bishops and priests to teach the traditional faith as was successfully done so for hundreds of years.

But anything like that is unlikely in the extreme. Catholics are no longer taught that there is such a thing as mortal sin, but are instructed to now believe that the answer to it all is charity and social justice. This plan does not have a happy ending for many.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I once asked this of the Judicial Vicar in our diocese. He said that when the petitioner is informed that he/she has an inadequate case they will usually withdraw the case. This preserves their right to repetition when/if they have more evidence.