What justifies a Catholic annulment?
Asked by: Magdalena Durgan V | Last update: July 17, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (20 votes)
Common Reasons for an Annulment So, for example, if one of the partners is infertile, whether they learned of it before or after the wedding took place, the union could be considered non-sacramental. Another common example is infidelity.
What are valid reasons for an annulment in the Catholic Church?
Some common grounds for annulment requests include that a petitioner never intended to be permanently married or faithful, and that mental illness or substance abuse prevented them from consenting to a lifelong marriage.
How difficult is it to get an annulment in the Catholic Church?
- A Catholic annulment is not easy to get under any circumstance.
- Even a slam-dunk like having gotten married in a civil ceremony instead of a Catholic ceremony takes time.
- And having gotten a civil divorce prior to applying for the annulment is, I'm pretty sure, a prerequisite.
What are the two most common grounds for annulment?
An annulment is a court ruling that a marriage was never valid. The most common ground for annulment is fraud and misrepresentation. For example, one person may not have disclosed to the other a prior divorce, a criminal record, an infectious disease, or an inability to engage in sex or have children.
How often are Catholic annulments denied?
Now, according to Vatican figures, about 50,000 annulments are granted annually by U.S. tribunals _ more than two-thirds of all annulments worldwide _ and less than 10 percent of annulment applications are denied.
Pope Francis Simplifies Catholic Annulment Rules
Are cheating grounds for Catholic annulment?
Wondering whether you can get a Catholic annulment after you've discovered your spouse has committed adultery is a common reaction. However, in most cases, adultery does not serve as grounds for a Catholic annulment in a marriage. A Catholic annulment completely nullifies your marriage, almost as if it never existed.
Why would an annulment be denied?
At the time of the marriage, either party was already legally married. At the time of the marriage, either party was ruled incapacitated, incapable of making the decision to marry. At the time of the marriage, either spouse was a minor and did not have parental or court permission to marry.
What invalidates a Catholic marriage?
the person intends the marriage to be something contrary to God's law about marriage; or. the person is psychologically incapable of fulfilling the obligations of marriage.
What are good reasons for annulment?
- You were under 18 at the time of the marriage.
- You were tricked into the marriage (fraud)
- You didn't have the mental capacity to marry (unsound mind)
- One of you is physically unable to consummate marriage.
- One of you is still married to someone who you thought was dead, but isn't.
Can you remarry in the Catholic Church without an annulment?
Thus, according to Catholic marriage rules, a divorced person wanting to marry a Catholic in the Church will need to go through the annulment process because the Church views them as married to their past partner. If you are preparing to go through the annulment process, you don't need to go it alone.
What percentage of Catholic annulments are granted?
The short answer is perhaps between 80–90%. The long answer is more complicated. According to Pew Research, 26% of all divorced Catholics in the US have sought an annulment.
What is the pauline exception?
Defining Pauline Privilege. 1 Corinthians 7:12-14a, 15-16. If a Christian has an unbaptized wife, and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her; and a woman who has an unbaptized husband willing to live with her must not divorce her husband.
What is the cost of a Catholic annulment?
It varies. The fees for the annulment investigation are typically set by the diocese. In many places, there is no fee. In others, the fee is a few hundred dollars and only helps defray the actual cost of an individual's case.
What are the 12 impediments of marriage in the Catholic Church?
Canon Law lists the following impedient impediments:" the simple vows of: virginity, perfect chastity, not marrying, entering Sacred Orders, or embracing the Religious state; relationship arising out of legal adoption in those countries where such relationship renders marriage unlawful but not invalid; difference in ...
Can a divorced Catholic receive communion?
Divorced people are full members of the Church and are encouraged to participate in its activities. May a divorced Catholic receive Holy Communion? Yes. Divorced Catholics in good standing with the Church, who have not remarried or who have remarried following an annulment, may receive the sacraments.
What are the grounds for separation in the Catholic Church?
According to the Church's Code of Canon Law, a couple may be forced to separate and seek a divorce when circumstances are such that they cause “serious danger of spirit or body to the spouse or the children, or otherwise render common life too hard” (cf. #1153.1).
What qualifies for a Catholic annulment?
Impediments are recognized by the church as obstacles that hinder the sacredness of marriage. Factors such as a prior existing marriage, a vow of celibacy, or an inability to engage in marital relations can render the bond invalid. In this case, the Church can grant the request for annulment.
What is the most common ground for annulment?
Here are the most common reasons why spouses seek a marriage annulment: Fraud/misrepresentation: When a spouse lied about important issues relating to the marriage, the other spouse could seek to annul the union.
Why would someone want an annulment instead of a divorce?
If your marriage was invalid, you might prefer an annulment over a divorce for a variety of reasons: Spouses who legally annul their marriage don't usually have to pay alimony or spousal support. The division of property is more straightforward in annulment than in divorce proceedings.
What nullifies a Catholic marriage?
Both Spouses Had the Intention to Marry for Life
If one of the spouses did not intend the marriage to last, was unfaithful, or did not want to have children, this may be grounds for an annulment in the Church.
Is adultery grounds for annulment in the Catholic Church?
Many applicants believe that if there has been infidelity in the marriage, this will au- tomatically prove that the marriage was inva- lid. This is not correct. Infidelity is a sin, but it does not in itself invalidate the consent that was given at the time of the wedding.
What does the Catholic Church think about annulment?
By obtaining a Catholic annulment, you are, in essence, saving yourself from sin and receiving a cleansing in God's eyes. This is also why you are allowed to remarry because you are considered pure once again as you were before your first marriage, i.e. a virgin.
Are annulments hard to get?
Establishing the grounds for an annulment is more difficult than the grounds for divorce. Issues or fault are highly probative in an annulment proceeding.
Can you remarry without an annulment?
Without an annulment, the Church still views you as married to your former spouse, which prevents you from entering into another sacramental marriage. This is why seeking an annulment is crucial if you wish to remarry within the Catholic Church. Everyone deserves another chance at a life that reflects their faith.
Can I get an annulment without my spouse knowing?
If a judge finds good reason to annul a marriage – and the judge has the support of one spouse or their representatives – then the judge will not need the consent of the other person to issue an annulment.