Divorce Annulments And The Catholic Church

Many people believe that the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on marriage is clear and consistent: marriage is a sacrament, the marriage contract is indissoluble, divorce and remarriage are forbidden. In this book, theologians, historians, and sociologists overhaul the church's teaching and practice on divorce and remarriage, as well as personal testimonies from a number of persons who have gone through the annulment process.

Explore the meaning of annulment to Catholics and the Church! This valuable book examines the use of annulment by the Catholic Church to grant divorced Catholics the right to remarry within the Church. Divorce, Annulments, and the Catholic Church: Healing or Hurtful? is the first published study on annulments with wide-scale usage of questionnaires and interviews comparing Catholics who have sought an annulment with divorced Catholics who have not sought an annulment as well as married Catholics. In addition to delivering a quantitative analysis of the responses to various questions (religious, social, or psychological), it explains in lay terms what annulments are and what the acceptable grounds are for annulment and takes you step-by-step through the process of obtaining one. This insightful book also contains case studies of individuals who have been hurt by annulments and offers suggestions on how people who want to contest an annulment should proceed. This well-referenced book: explores the factors that lead to divorce provides a theoretical perspective as to why people either support or oppose annulments examines the religious influence on divorce and remarriage discusses the social integration-related aspects of annulment and divorce for Catholics presents recommendations for petitioners, respondents, clerics, and the members of tribunals who act as advocates, defenders, and judges Divorce, Annulments, and the Catholic Church is an invaluable reference work for counselors dealing with the issue of divorce for Catholics, non-Catholics whose former spouses are seeking annulments, divorced Catholics who are contemplating an annulment, members of the clergy, and members of marriage tribunals and Family Life groups.

Here, in clear and uncomplicated language, Bishop Robinson explains God's plan for marriage and the criteria the Church follows in granting a decree of nullity.

A Place to Belong: Letters from Catholic Women explores what it means to be a woman of faith today. Edited by Corynne Staresinic, the founder of the nonprofit The Catholic Woman, this stunning anthology of twenty-five deeply personal letters, wisdom from women saints, reflection questions, art, photography, and prayers will inspire you to live your femininity along your own unique life path as you find--and provide for others--a place to belong.

Annulment. A perplexing word. To some, both Catholics and non-Catholics alike, it is synonymous with Catholic divorce. Many questions abound regarding this issue, one which unfortunately touches the lives of many in the Church today. In this helpful book, canon and civil lawyer Edward N. Peters clears up some of the confusion by answering the most commonly-asked annulment questions in a thorough yet-easy-to-understand style.

"The question-and-answer format provides an overview of the marriage law of the [Catholic] church and its practical implications and makes difficult concepts understandable to the nonexpert."--Cover

In 1993, Sheila Rauch Kennedy received a letter from the Boston Catholic Archdiocese announcing that her former husband, Congressman Joseph Kennedy, was seeking an annulment of their marriage. If the Church granted the annulment, the marriage, which had lasted twelve years, would be rendered nonexistent -- not simply ended, as was stated in the divorce decree, but invalid from the start. And their two sons would be regarded as children of an unsanctified union. Joseph Kennedy needed the annulment to remarry within the Church, and he encouraged his ex-wife to ignore the details. Stunned by the hypocrisy of the process and the betrayal of trust it involved, Sheila Rauch Kennedy was determined to defend the legitimacy of her former marriage. Shattered Faith is the fascinating chronicle of that struggle, and of what Kennedy uncovered about the uses and frequency of annulments in the United States. Interweaving her own experiences with those of other women whose trust in the Church was shattered by annulment, she tells a story that will surprise, anger, and move readers of every faith.