A Spouse Was Easier To Find Than A Church

Although the Kennedys’ marriage lasted 25 years and produced three children, the church could still find grounds for concluding that their union was invalid. Since Vatican Council II, the traditional grounds for obtaining an annulment-in effect, a declaration that one or more of the requirements of a sacramental marriage was missing in the first place–have been more liberally interpreted. Typically, annulments are granted if officials find that one or both partners did not intend a permanent, faithful marriage or to have children. Severe addiction to alcohol or drugs can also justify an annulment. In 1990, Catholic marriage tribunals in the United States accepted 45,000 petitions for annulment. Nearly 37,000 were granted.

The annulment process, which involves psychological evaluations of the partners and detailed investigations of a couple’s courtship and marriage, usually takes no more than 18 months. If the senator and his fiancee decide to forgo that process, both will be banned from participating in the sacramental life of the church, including holy communion, and will be considered living in sin. Since 1983, however, the church no longer excommunicates divorced and remarried Catholics, which may be why only 10 percent now bother to seek annulments.

title: “A Spouse Was Easier To Find Than A Church” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-12” author: “Shayne Burrows”

Although the Kennedys’ marriage lasted 25 years and produced three children, the church could still find grounds for concluding that their union was invalid. Since Vatican Council II, the traditional grounds for obtaining an annulment-in effect, a declaration that one or more of the requirements of a sacramental marriage was missing in the first place–have been more liberally interpreted. Typically, annulments are granted if officials find that one or both partners did not intend a permanent, faithful marriage or to have children. Severe addiction to alcohol or drugs can also justify an annulment. In 1990, Catholic marriage tribunals in the United States accepted 45,000 petitions for annulment. Nearly 37,000 were granted.

The annulment process, which involves psychological evaluations of the partners and detailed investigations of a couple’s courtship and marriage, usually takes no more than 18 months. If the senator and his fiancee decide to forgo that process, both will be banned from participating in the sacramental life of the church, including holy communion, and will be considered living in sin. Since 1983, however, the church no longer excommunicates divorced and remarried Catholics, which may be why only 10 percent now bother to seek annulments.