How can I get an annullment through the Catholic Church?

Question

I was married to a non-catholic and we got divorced. I am going to get remarried to a catholic and we would like to get married by a priest but I was told I would need an annullment of my previous marriage (not told that by a priest but by others). How does one go about getting an annullment through the church?

was married to a non-catholic and we got divorced. I am going to get remarried to a catholic and we would like to get married by a priest but I was told I would need an annullment of my previous marriage (not told that by a priest but by others). How does one go about getting an annullment through the church?

I am catholic....

Answer 1

"Divorce" as such is not allowed. However, civil divorce is usually followed by Catholic annulment. This is an avenue you should pursue.

The Catholic Church regularly annuls marriages. Bring your concerns to your diocesan priest, who will deal with your situation understandingly and with great compassion.

Because of their "indissoluble" (1602) theological character, most marriages are annulled on the grounds that both spouses did not give full consent and, therefore, the marriage never existed. Also, if your marriage was never consummated, this is grounds for annullment.

Here are some other grounds:
1) Absence of Reason. Either spouse or both spouses were inebriated, mentally ill, or unconscious during the marriage agreement (Canon 1095).
2) Ignorance. Either or both spouses were ignorant of the level of life-long or sacramental commitment demanded by marriage (Canon 1096, 1099).
3) Error or deception. Either or both spouses do not possess fundamental qualities they claimed (Canon 1097, 1098).
4) Exclusion of children. One spouse refuses to allow the creation of issue (Canon 1101).
5) Fear, One spouse was intimidated by others into accepting marriage (Canon 1103).

Present yourself and your intentions to a priest, or to the local chancery. A competent ecclesiastical tribunal will examine the case. Your honest cooperation with that tribunal will be essential. This process may take some time, so be sure to allow for it in your plans.

Remember, annulment is not a guaranteed outcome. If your marriage is annulled, you are free to marry again. In the case of an exclusively civil divorce, however, the Church still considers you married and may not consent to marry you in a Catholic ceremony (2384). You may also be denied participation in the Church's divine life (1650).

Best of luck to you, and be sure to consult your priest.

Answer 2

If your first marriage was not done in the Church, then you don't need an annulment.

But if your first marriage was done in the Church, then yes, you need an annulment.

The first step is to contact your parish; tell the pastor, deacon, or lay staff there that you'd like to get the annulment process started.

When are you planning to get married? I've never been through an annulment myself (never been married), but I understand that it takes a while -- the better part of a year, or longer perhaps.

By the way, just for your info: If your first marriage was in the Church, and you enter into your new marriage outside the Church, then what you're really doing is entering into an adulterous relationship -- because in the eyes of the Church, you're still married to your first wife.

Again, this holds only if your first marriage was in the Catholic Church. If it wasn't, then you should be in the clear to get married in the Church without an annulment.

Answer 3

The easiest way to get an annullment through the Catholic Church is to follow the example of Henry VIII...that is, outlaw the institution all together! Things may be different now-a-days, but during the reformation the only way to get an annullment was to petition the church, and prove infidelity, or something worse. Henry tried to convince the church that Catherine of Aragon had been involved in incestous relations. Being as her nephew was the emperor of the holy roman empire, however, it was no dice. If that does not seem feasible to you, perhaps you should try actually asking a priest. If neither of these methods works, there's always the good ol' "off with her head!" also courtesy of Henry!

Answer 4

You need to talk to your priest. I fear that you may have a problem here because you already got a divorce (civil) and that takes the place of an annulment in the legal sense. In other words, you can get one or the other. A divorce is the end of the marriage, an annulment means the marriage never existed. Again, talk to your priest! And good luck.

Answer 5

A civil divorce is the end of the civil obligation of a marriage that is recognized by civil authorities. In the Catholic Church, Matrimony is more than just a civil obligation. It is a spiritual obligation and a permanent spiritual union, that "no man can separate." So, if a divorced person wishes to marry in the Catholic Church, they must present evidence that their previous marriage was not Holy Matrimony (that permanent spiritual union that cannot be ended by any man). This is what the annulment process is. You present your evidence. It is debated by a tribunal of specially trained priests (two who try to prove the marriage is not valid and one who tries to prove that it is), and if the tribunal concludes the marriage was never Holy Matrimony, they'll recommend it for a decree of nullity. Then a second tribunal in a different diocese goes through the same process and if they agree, you get your decree of nullity. Without a decree of nullity, the Church will assume your first marriage was Holy Matrimony ("sacramentally valid") and any additional marriage would be adultery. So it could not happen in a Catholic Church. That's why you need the annulment.

Answer 6

This is a sad fact about Catholic law. I'm going to assume you yourself are Catholic okay?

If you were married to a non-Catholic, then the marriage never existed in the eyes of the church. To this day, they only recognize Catholic marriages. So no annulment is needed, as according to the law of the Catholics, it never happened.

This is why it is sad. A Catholic man marries a woman who is not and lives with her for 25 years, raising 3 kids. He leaves her and the kids and moves into a condo with a buxom blonde half his age, who just happens to be Catholic too. According to the Catholics law, this is okay, he can marry her as if it's his first marriage, as the other one didn't count.

That's their rules, but that ain't God.

Answer 7

Your local parish priest will have all the information you need. It's alot more involved than most people think it is. Alot like court proceedings with witnesses etc. Not to mention the cost.

Good luck.

Answer 8

You need to go to ur parish and talk to a priest....an annullment is usually done by a Pope....but talk to ur priest

Answer 9

I think you have to find a set number of people who will say that because of your differences you were unable to continue living with your spouse. I'd recommend setting an appointment with your parish priest.

Answer 10

annullment means marriage never existed. you had the divorce, how could you have an annullment if you were divorced?