WHAT IS A DECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE?
A declaration of nullity of marriage is a statement, made after a careful study by the Church, that a particular marriage for which a divorce has been granted was not valid. WHAT ARE SOME REASONS THAT A MARRIAGE MAY BE INVALID? Catholics are bound to observe “canonical form” for marriage. A Catholic party, when marrying, must have a wedding in accord with these requirements: the expression of marriage consent in the presence of the other party and in the presence of the properly delegated bishop, priest, or deacon, and two witnesses. In the event that there is a good reason for a Catholic not to have this arrangement (for instance, because of a desire of the non-Catholic party to have the wedding in his/her church or other place of worship), the Catholic party may ask for a dispensation from canonical form, in which case, the dispensation having been granted, the marriage is recognized as valid by the Catholic Church. If the Catholic party neither has had a wedding according to canonic
Related Questions
- Is the pendency of a civil case for declaration of nullity of marriage a prejudicial question to suspend the criminal case for bigamy?
- What is involved in getting an annulment (declaration of nullity) for a previous marriage?
- What is psychological incapacity as a ground for a declaration of nullity of marriage?
