Find Peace Through Catholic Annulment
Guiding you on the path to spiritual healing and renewal.
Find Peace Through Catholic Annulment
Guiding you on the path to spiritual healing and renewal.
About Catholic Annulment
Our Mission
At Catholic Annulment, we are dedicated to helping individuals understand the annulment process within the Catholic Church. Our mission is to provide compassionate guidance and support to those seeking clarity and healing in their spiritual journey.
Glimpses of Glory: Hope and Reverence
Dr Steven Monaghan has been advocating for persons seeking Nullity for over 15 years. During this time, he has successfully processed hundreds of applications both in the US and internationally. Called on as a "court expert", his knowledge of Cannon Law and compassion for applicants has garnered him deep respect from Tribunals throughout the world.
"Annulment" is an unfortunate word that is sometimes used to refer to a Catholic "declaration of nullity." Actually, nothing is made null through the process. Rather, a Church tribunal (a Catholic Church court) declares that a marriage thought to be valid according to Church law actually fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union.
In faith to Jesus's teaching, the Church believes that marriage is a lifelong bond (see Matt 19:1-10); therefore, unless one's spouse has died, the Church requires a divorced person to obtain a declaration of nullity before marrying someone else in the Catholic Church or before actually becoming a Catholic. The tribunal process seeks to determine if something essential was missing at consent.
Several steps are involved. The person who is asking for the declaration of nullity – the petitioner – submits written testimony about the marriage and a list of persons who are familiar with the marriage. These people must be willing to answer questions about the spouses and the marriage. If the other spouse did not co-sign the petition, the tribunal will contact that spouse & respondent
Fully grasping the Church’s teaching about marriage is complicated business. Understanding Catholic annulments can be even more so. Add to this rich, but complex teaching, the pain of divorce and often continuing timidity about entering a second marriage and many Catholics simply opt out of Church weddings the second time around.