Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish

Should a Catholic Pursue an Annulment?

Question: After a civil divorce, is a Catholic obligated to pursue an annulment?           

Answer: Many Catholics are not exactly sure what an annulment does. An annulment does not deny that a marriage took place, nor does it deny that there once was love. It does not mean that people say anything untrue, such as they never loved each other or that everything in their marriage was wrong. An annulment does not negate children, nor make them illegitimate. An annulment addresses the spiritual aspect of marriage. In effect, an annulment says that at the time of the wedding, there was either something present or something absent that prevented the sacrament from taking place. It is a spiritual determination that, if granted in the affirmative, allows a person to marry in the Church.

Annulments have no legal standing and are unable to be used in a civil court. Therefore, a Catholic has no moral obligation to pursue an annulment. However, when the tragedy of divorce occurs, and there is no hope for reconciliation, annulments may help bring some spiritual closure to a person’s life. Some people have found the process to be healing and others have found it to be difficult. Speak to your priest or a member of the Diocesan Tribunal staff to decide what is best for you.