“This is a way for a person to reflect on
and identify what was missing from
their marriage that made it impossible
to live out the full definition of
marriage.” ~Fr. Bill
Annulments
With marriage, the Church tries to do two things that
may seem contradictory. On one hand, we uphold the
dignity and ideal of marriage as a life-long partnership
of life and love. Married love is called to mirror God’s
love. And God loves us God’s whole life – eternally.
Married couples are called to love their whole life – as
the vows say, “until death do us part.” However, on
the other hand, not every couple who enters into
marriage has all the necessary ingredients to live the
ideal of marriage despite their best intentions. The
Church desires to accompany them with compassion
and understanding.
We do both through the annulment process. This is a
way for a person to reflect on and identify what was
missing from their marriage that made it impossible to
live out the full definition of marriage. It does not deny
the good that came from that union, especially if there
where children. It simply states that, looking back with
some objectivity, I can now identify an essential
ingredient that was missing from the beginning of the
marriage. It does not change our definition of marriage
as a life-long union.
The easiest case is when the Catholic form of the
marriage ceremony was missing. A Catholic has the
obligation to marry within the Catholic Church.
Another easy case may be when one’s spouse was not
free to marry in the eyes of the Church due to a
previous marriage. Other cases may be more complex
when dealing with issues of freedom, maturity,
knowledge, addictions, and the like. These situations
may require greater reflection around one’s life and/or
the life history of one’s spouse. The parish has trained
Advocates, who assist those going through the
annulment process. The process is most often done
through writing.
The purpose of the annulment process is to bring
healing and closure to the painful experience of a civil
divorce. It also allows the Church to issue a
declaration of freedom, so a person may marry in the
Church in the future. Often, one may have already
entered into a new marriage. The annulment process
allows the Church to get caught up and able to
acknowledge and celebrate with you your current life-
giving union.
For more information on the annulment process, let’s
get together and chat.