Church Annulments

Pastor Page

    As pastors - or as pastoral associates, deacons, religious or lay persons designated by our pastors to assist persons seeking church annulments - we need to be sensitive to this pastoral ministry. There are many misconceptions resulting from bad experiences, lack of information, well intended  friends, zealous relatives and the list goes on and on. 

    As the pastor or pastor's representative, you are called upon to do certain things to assist that person in securing a church annulment:

• Explain what is the sacrament of Matrimony so that the person knows what he or she is asking the Church to annul.

• Assist the person with filling out the forms used in the process.

• Explain the fees involved.

• Direct the person toward the documents needed and why these documents are needed.

• Assist the person in the preparation of testimony.

• Explain the role of witnesses.

• Explain the procedure once the petition is sent to The Tribunal?

    This is a very special ministry, as you are assisting others who are perhaps still stinging from the experience of possibly a bad marriage and the trauma of divorce. That person (who could be either male or female) may suffer from low (or no) esteem. The person may be filled with misconceptions about annulments. The person may know nothing about annulments. That person may have re-married civilly. And, it is possible the person is not even a member of our Catholic faith.

    This website will try and help you tailor the process according to your abilities and the needs of the individual coming to see you.

    Listed below are aids to helping you in your ministry:

• How to determine if a full annulment is necessary.

• Here is a suggested procedure to follow in working with someone.

• How about a possible presentation on consent and the elements of the Sacrament of Matrimony?

• What books are available to give me more background? 

• Support groups are helpful.

• What are the various canons dealing with Marriage Law. 

• What are possible grounds for hearing a marriage case? 

• So what about annulments? Further thoughts.

• What about forms?

• To see a sample brochure to help explain annulments, click here for that brochure in Microsoft Word format. To view the form in Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf) format, click here.

Return to the cover page of Bringing Annulments Down to Earth.