Can Catholics Get an Annulment After Divorce

Description

Can Catholics get an annulment after a divorce? Yes—but first, it's important to understand what an annulment actually is. An annulment is not a Catholic divorce. The Church does not dissolve a valid sacramental marriage. Instead, an annulment is a declaration that a valid marriage never came into existence in the first place because something essential was lacking at the time the vows were exchanged. What kinds of things? A lack of full consent. Serious psychological incapacity. Being forced into marriage. Deception about something essential to marriage. Or an intention from the beginning to reject children or permanence. If one of these essential elements was absent, the marriage may have been invalid from the start. So how does the process work? You begin by speaking with your parish priest, who can help you submit a petition to the diocesan tribunal. The tribunal gathers testimony, reviews the evidence, and determines whether a valid marriage actually existed. An annulment does not mean the children were illegitimate. It does not erase the relationship. It simply determines whether a sacramental marriage was ever validly contracted. Because Jesus taught that what God has joined together, no man may separate, the Church takes marriage very seriously. If you're divorced and wondering whether an annulment is possible, don't assume the answer. Speak with your priest. The Church seeks both truth and justice, while always caring for the salvation of souls. Subscribe to Catholic Voices & Prayers for more daily Catholic teachings, traditions, and answers to the big questions of the Faith.