WHAT IS AN ANNULMENT?

An annulment is a canonical investigation, to determine as humanly as possible, that the sacramental bond of marriage, which should have taken effect, never took place. The Bond of Marriage is presumed to have taken
effect. The contrary has to be proven in a Court of Church law.

There has to be something that blocks the sacramental bond either in the consent ( intellectual knowledge of marriage, or the other person) and or the freedom of choosing you to be my spouse. How free, how mature, how much do I know about you and your values and ideas about marriage? An annulment looks at everything prior to the marriage, the courtship, engagement, the day and night of the wedding. It investigates your concept of marriage, your own family life growing up, drug or alcohol use. It takes on the average one to two years of investigation, it then is heard at a tribunal, a decision is rendered, and then it automatically is given over to a court of appeals that rehears the case.

The costs for an annulment is presently $1500. However, if one can’t pay, then there is a sliding scale. The money is to pay the secretaries, and clerical staff and materials used. DO NOT believe the lies that it costs thousands of dollars. Annulments are serious business. It does not look at guilt or innocence or whose fault it was, it is simply a decision whether or not sacramental bond took effect.

FINAL WORD

The first thing we have to remember is that “ God Himself is the author of marriage” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 48). When God created human persons in His own image, as male and female, He placed in their hearts the desire, and the task, to love – to give themselves totally to another person.

Marriage is not something thought up by human society or by any religion – rather, it springs from whom the human person is, as male and female, and society and religion affirm and reinforce it. The truth of marriage is therefore accessible to everyone, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. Both faith and reason speak to the true meaning of marriage.

When you take the supernatural element out of marriage then it becomes whatever the social tide may be at that time.

It is important to remember that the word “ marriage” isn’t simply a label that can be attached to different types of relationships.
Instead, “marriage” reflects a deep reality – the reality of the unique, fruitful, lifelong union that is only possible between a man and a woman. Just as oxygen and hydrogen are essential to water, sexual difference is essential to marriage. The attempt to “redefine” marriage to include two persons of the same sex denies the reality of what marriage is. It is as impossible as trying to “redefine” water to include oxygen and nitrogen.