Ask a Catholic

[ayin jade]

How do you reconcile the annulment process and criteria with what the new testament says about divorce, specifically what Jesus said? From what I saw, annulment is not scripturally valid.

[Kansasdad]

How do you reconcile the annulment process and criteria with what the new testament says about divorce, specifically what Jesus said? From what I saw, annulment is not scripturally valid.

My simple understanding of it is that by the best evidence that can be known the Church feels that God never "blessed" the marriage in the first place. It was never a union brought together by God. In other words, God was absent from the formula, and If God was not part of the beginning then it was never a marriage in the first place, more like a long spell of fornication. ( was that too blunt)

God Bless,

K.D.

[ayin jade]

Yet they were married, and God doesnt like divorce even if He didnt "sanctify" the marriage. Sorry, that explanation doesnt hold up for me. Thanks for answering.

[Kansasdad]

Yet they were married, and God doesnt like divorce even if He didnt "sanctify" the marriage. Sorry, that explanation doesnt hold up for me. Thanks for answering.

Ok let me put it this way. Two people live together, they do all the things married people do including have kids. They split up and wreck the kids lives in their selfish life. Is this an offence to God...Yes......Were they ever married....no.......Did God ever consider them married... I would venture....no....... Now legally, they are married by common law, so in a legal sense they could be considered married, but not in Gods realm. Now one of this couple repents, turns their life to God, and wants to get married. This is scripturally allowed because they were never married in the first place. The process of annulment is the process in which the Church determines that the couple was in fact living in sin, and never married. This is not always the finding. As often as not the Church finds that the marriage was valid and binding.

That is the best I can explain it, I have been married for 20 years and I know an annulment would be a lie that wouldn't fly in Gods eyes.

God Bless,

K.D.

[ayin jade]

Please show me scripture that specifies how a marriage ceremony has to be in order for it to be considered God approved? It says marriage. Marriage is marriage whether it is performed by a minister in a church or by a justice of the peace.

[Guest man]

36 pages! Betcha can't beat my record!

If you compare the substance...it's not even a race.

[billie]

[Pax]

This topic came up today at lunch today. I'm sorry if this has already been addressed here -- I don't believe it has.

Under what conditions may a marriage be annulled? What is the purpose of an annulment, and when can it be granted?

For example, Ted Kennedy had his first marriage annuled (I think, I hope I am not stating something incorrectly here).

I realize this is a church, not a civil issue, but I ask this question because many of us who are not of the RCC have a hard time understanding how someone who was married for many years and had children, can have their marriage "wiped away."

I've seen the negative emotional consequences this has had on children whose parents were divorced and then one of the parents sought an annulment.

By the way, Fiosh, I really respect how you have handled this thread.

A divorce is said to end a valid marriage, but a declaration of annulment says there was no valid marriage in the first place. Every state has civil law that provides for annulment in cases where no valid consent has been given by one party. Classic example is when a person gets intoxicated and decides to get married. The next day they wake up and figured out they are married. Another example would be a "shotgun wedding". No free consent is given if the groom has to consent to the wedding or be shot. Those are examples of civil law on annulments.

Church law is similar, for a valid Sacramental marriage to take place both parties must be capable of giving consent, and both then must consent. Children are incapable of consenting to marriage. Adults generally are capable of giving consent, but may lack authentic consent in particular circumstances. A Sacramental marriage requires a life long commitment and an openness to children. If one party participates in the wedding ceremony with no intention to have a lasting marriage (I'll give it a few years, and if it doesn't work then I will leave), or if a person refuses to have children, the marriage is more than likely invalid from the start even if this was kept a sercret and the ceremony goes off as planned.

The annulment process is a very long process. When a person files for an annulment both parties submit evidence, as well as name witnesses to the relationship. The witnesses will also fill out forms telling the Church tribunal what they know about the marriage. After the tribunal has reviewed all the evidence and in some cases interviewed the couple and witnesses they decide if the marriage was valid or not. If a declaration of nulity is given, the Church deams that the marriage was never valid and the people are free to marry again. If the tribunal deams that the marriage was a valid Sacramental bond then the couple are married for life. This doens't mean they can't seperate, but they are not allowed to marry again not only in the Catholic Church, but in any church. To do so would be commiting adultry.

[Elisabeth]

How do you reconcile the annulment process and criteria with what the new testament says about divorce, specifically what Jesus said? From what I saw, annulment is not scripturally valid.

My simple understanding of it is that by the best evidence that can be known the Church feels that God never "blessed" the marriage in the first place. It was never a union brought together by God. In other words, God was absent from the formula, and If God was not part of the beginning then it was never a marriage in the first place, more like a long spell of fornication. ( was that too blunt)

God Bless,

K.D.

Isn't that the same basic argument that people use to justify abortion? One could say that God certainly was absent from a one-night stand ... does that mean the resulting child was not from Him? Could not one apply that same kind of logic to anything in life that is a "problem" or "inconvenient?" Isn't that exactly how Satan works? "Did God REALLY mean for you to be married to that person?"

So you are saying that a couple can take the vow of marriage in the RCC, they raise their children in the RCC, they behave as husband and wife for years ... but at some point later in life, one or both of them, and the RCC decides that marriage was never valid? To me, that is an insult to God.

Please let us know if there is anything Scriptural to support the RCC's position.

Thank you.

[Pax]

How do you reconcile the annulment process and criteria with what the new testament says about divorce, specifically what Jesus said? From what I saw, annulment is not scripturally valid.

My simple understanding of it is that by the best evidence that can be known the Church feels that God never "blessed" the marriage in the first place. It was never a union brought together by God. In other words, God was absent from the formula, and If God was not part of the beginning then it was never a marriage in the first place, more like a long spell of fornication. ( was that too blunt)

God Bless,

K.D.

Isn't that the same basic argument that people use to justify abortion? One could say that God certainly was absent from a one-night stand ... does that mean the resulting child was not from Him? Could not one apply that same kind of logic to anything in life that is a "problem" or "inconvenient?" Isn't that exactly how Satan works? "Did God REALLY mean for you to be married to that person?"

So you are saying that a couple can take the vow of marriage in the RCC, they raise their children in the RCC, they behave as husband and wife for years ... but at some point later in life, one or both of them, and the RCC decides that marriage was never valid? To me, that is an insult to God.

Please let us know if there is anything Scriptural to support the RCC's position.

Thank you.

The percentage of marriages that are reviewed and receive an annulment are about 10%. Not every Catholic who gets married and then tries to receive that annulment will. You must remember that no one can seperate what God has brought together. If a marriage is a valid sacramental bond it can't be broken.

I also would like to point out that every diocese in the nation has a tribunal of Priest, deacons, and Cannon Lawyers that review marriage at the request of Catholics seeking a declaration of nullity. It isn't like the decision is left up to the couple divorcing to see if their marriage was valid. I will also add that no other denomination does this. It is up to the pastor of a non-Catholic Church to decide if he wants to remarry couples who have divorced. I don't know of to many pastors who have denied divorced couples to remarry, not once but in some cases many times.