How to Have a Catholic Marriage Annulled

The Catholic Church regards marriage as a sacrament that joins two people for life. If you obtain a civil divorce, you will not be permitted to remarry in a Catholic ceremony, and the Church will actually regard any post-divorce relationships in which you engage as adulterous. You may, however, petition the Church to annul your marriage, which will allow you to remarry or just to continue your life knowing that the Church no longer considers you tied to that former spouse.

Things You'll Need

• Grounds for annulment
• Proof of claims
• Witnesses
• Parish priest, deacon, or other church advocate
• Annulment petition

Instructions

1. Determine the grounds on which you will seek annulment. The Church recognizes a wide variety of reasons why a marriage may not have been legitimate, such as an abusive spouse, one addicted to drugs or alcohol, one who was never baptized as a Christian or one who did not want children. Perhaps the reason with the most "wiggle room" is that of a spouse who was simply not prepared to accept and fulfill the rights and obligations of marriage, as it could be argued that any marriage that ends in divorce necessitates one or more spouses unprepared for the lifetime commitment that the Church considers a marriage to be.

2. Assemble proof to back up any claims you are making. If there are any court, medical or military records that can testify to issues that became problematic in the marriage (abuse, drug use, etc.), try to obtain copies of those records.

3. Make a list of witnesses who can speak to the problems in your marriage. These can be friends, family members, doctors, counselors, or anyone else who was aware of your marital issues and how they affected you. If you choose to use testimony from a professional, such as a doctor or a counselor, you will need to fill out a release form.

4. Determine the diocese in which you plan to petition for annulment. You may file in the diocese where the marriage took place, in either of the dioceses where you and your former spouse now reside, or in some cases in the diocese where the bulk of the proof may be obtained.

5. Contact a parish priest, deacon, or other Church advocate in that diocese. You will need to obtain the petition form from that representative, who will also be able to help you to complete this rather long and complex document.

6. Submit the completed petition to the Tribunal office. If your petition is rejected, you should hear back in a few weeks, and you can correct and resubmit your document. If it is accepted, you may need to wait up to a year to hear the decision that has been rendered by the Tribunal, Diocesan Bishop, or even the Pope. If the decision is affirmative, your marriage has been annulled. If the decision is negative, you can always appeal.

Tips & Warnings

• An annulment will not make any children born of the marriage retroactively illegitimate.

• An annulment may cost several hundred dollars in fees, although some of these fees may be waived in case of hardship.

• Your former spouse will need to be contacted as part of the process, unless neither you nor the Church is able to contact this person.

• You may have to supply a detailed account of your sex life as part of your petition.