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The Catholic Church usually does not use the word “annulment.” Instead, it calls the process a “nullity case” or “declaration of nullity.
This is because the Church is not “canceling” a marriage or pretending it never mattered. Rather, it is formally examining whether a valid sacramental marriage was present from the beginning. If the Church determines something essential was missing, it declares that the marriage was not valid in the way the Church understands marriage.
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- They are divorced and would like to remarry in the Catholic Church.
- They have questions about their marital status in the Church.
- They are preparing to marry and a previous marriage needs to be reviewed.
- They were married outside the Catholic Church and are unsure of their status.
When petitioning for declaration of nullity of marriage you are required to have a case sponsor to assist you with the process. For questions or information, and assistance on a possible case, please contact any of our Parish Case Sponsors listed below.
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Petition forms are available here for reference. You MUST choose a Case Sponsor below to assist you with the process.
- Formal Church Petition for a Declaration of Nullity
- Lack of Canonical Form
- Prior Bond (Ligamen) Petition
- Pauline Privilege
- Favor of the Faith (Petrine Privilege)
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The Tribunal will NOT accept any form without a Case Sponsor.
To ensure that you do not complete an incorrect petition form, you must FIRST consult with a Case Sponsor - Look for one at the bottom of this page.A Church Petition for a Declaration of Nullity consists of 3 parts:
- Letter of Introduction
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Formal Petition Form and Libellus
The Formal Petition Form must be filled out as follows:
- Must be printed as a single-sided document on 8½ by 11-inch white paper
- Must be filled in completely. Incomplete forms will not be accepted.
- Must be filled in using only black ink
- Must include all proper signatures and initials
- Must include the Parish Seal
Along with the Formal Petition Form, the following documents must be submitted:
- Marriage/Divorce decrees.
- Catholic certificates (baptism, profession of faith, marriage) if applicable.
- Previous decree(s) of nullity, death certificate(s), etc., if applicable.
- Any additional information that may be requested by your Case Sponsor
- All formal petitions must be printed out and mailed to the Metropolitan Tribunal once all of the required paperwork is gathered. Electronic submissions will not be accepted.
Click on the following links to download these documents:
- Letter of Introduction
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Formal Petition Form and Libellus
- Download the form to fill out electronically (.doc file) *Make sure you are in "Print Layout" mode in order to maintain the correct formatting when printing.
- Download and print out the form to fill out by hand (.pdf file)
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The Tribunal will NOT accept any form without a Case Sponsor.
To ensure that you do not complete an incorrect petition form, you must FIRST consult with a Case Sponsor - Look for one at the bottom of this page.
This petition is used in those cases where a Catholic entered into a marriage ceremony without fulfilling the requirement of canonical form (Canon 1108: marrying before a Catholic priest or deacon and two witnesses) and that marriage ended in divorce.
This petition form may be reproduced in one of the following three ways:- Four pages (one side only).
- Two pages (front and back).
- One folded page (front and back) on 11-by-17-inch size paper, akin to the prenuptial questionnaire.
Please always download forms from the website to ensure that you are using the most current ones.
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The Tribunal will NOT accept any form without a Case Sponsor.
To ensure that you do not complete an incorrect petition form, you must FIRST consult with a Case Sponsor - Look for one at the bottom of this page.
Print out this page and follow these directions while completing the petition form.
Example:
Person A (Petitioner) wishes to be free to enter a Catholic marriage. However, Person A (Petitioner) was married and divorced from Person B (Respondent). Person B had been previously married to Person C (First spouse of Respondent). It was the first marriage for Person B and Person C, and Person C is still alive; the marriage of Person B and Person C is presumed valid. Therefore, the marriage of Person A and Person B is invalid because of the marriage of Person B and Person C
A. Person A (Petitioner) is to submit the following:- A completed Prior Bond/Ligamen petition form.
- The marriage license for the marriage of Person A and Person B.
- The divorce decree which is signed and dated by the judge for Person A and Person B.
- The marriage license for the marriage of Person B and Person C.
- The divorce decree which is signed and dated by the judge for Person B and Person C.
B. As with all petitions the allegations must be substantiated through acceptable means. The cooperation of Person B and Person C is absolutely necessary in this process. Therefore, the following MUST be established from the testimony of both Person B and Person C whose testimony will be obtained by the Tribunal Office:- That the marriage of Person B and Person C was the first marriage for both.
- That neither Person B nor Person C was baptized Catholic.
- That both Person B and Person C are still alive.
- That the Catholic Church did not grant a decree of nullity for Person B and Person C.
C. The above states the simplest requirements to the process. However, the Prior Bond/Ligamen petition can be complicated. Following are some problems which will delay the processing of a prior Bond/Ligamen petition or which will require Person A (Petitioner) to file a Formal Church Petition for a Declaration of Nullity:
- A petition is lacking the required current address of Person B and Person C.
- Lack of cooperation from Person B and Person C.
- Missing documents. Although a marriage license and divorce decree are usually public records which can be obtained at the county courthouse where they are recorded, Person A may not know where the documents are recorded.
- Person B has more than one previous marriage.
- Person C was previously married.
- Person C is a baptized Catholic. If Person C is a baptized Catholic and did not marry Person B by the Catholic Church, then the marriage of Person B and Person C would not be considered valid. Thus, the marriage between Person A and B is valid.
- Person C is no longer living.
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The Tribunal will NOT accept any form without a Case Sponsor.
To ensure that you do not complete an incorrect petition form, you must FIRST consult with a Case Sponsor - Look for one at the bottom of this page.
Print out this page and follow these directions while completing the petition form.
The Pauline Privilege is not a declaration of nullity, but rather an action of the Church which declares its power over a non-sacramental bond of marriage. The first marriage is dissolved when the second is contracted. These cases are governed by canons 1143-1147.
Please note that the Petitioner is not to be baptized or married until authorized by the Tribunal. The first marriage is dissolved only when the Petitioner having received baptism, enters into the new valid marriage. Normally, the baptism and the new marriage should be scheduled in close proximity.
It is pastorally important that the Petitioner understand this process. It should be made clear that this is an attempt to dissolve a previous valid marriage, not to declare it null. Hence, the validity of the previous bond is not challenged. Under no circumstances should the Petitioner be made to feel uncomfortable because of non-baptism. Please note, however, that in the case of a Pauline Privilege, baptism and a new marriage are required.
The following are some of the minimal conditions and requirements that must be met:- Both parties were unbaptized (or not validly baptized) at the time of the marriage, and neither party was baptized during the course of the marriage.
- The parties separated and are divorced civilly.
- The Petitioner (yourself) now wishes to receive baptism (or has received it).
- The Respondent (the former spouse) does not intend to be baptized and does not wish to be reconciled with the Petitioner.
- The Petitioner now wishes to enter a new marriage.
- The Petitioner and the Petitioner's prospective or present spouse was not the cause of the breakup of the marriage.
If these conditions exist, the Pauline Privilege Petition, including the following information and documents, are necessary:- The marriage certificate of the marriage for which the dissolution is being petitioned.
- The final decree of divorce of this same marriage.
- The name and address of the former spouse (the cooperation of the Respondent is absolutely necessary).
- The names and addresses of at least three witnesses for both the Petitioner and the Respondent. These witnesses are to testify about the non-baptism of both parties before and throughout the course of the marriage. These should be the parents and other family members of both parties.
- Download and print out the Petition form to fill out by hand (.pdf file)
- Download the form to fill out electronically (.doc file) *Make sure you are in "Print Layout" mode in order to maintain the correct formatting when printing.
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The Tribunal will NOT accept any form without a Case Sponsor.
To ensure that you do not complete an incorrect petition form, you must FIRST consult with a Case Sponsor - Look for one at the bottom of this page.
The Favor of the Faith is a special process that exists for non-sacramental marriages in which one of the parties in a former marriage was not baptized. Please read our brief introduction to this process below. If the conditions that govern this process apply to your former marriage, please fill out the Favor of the Faith Petition Form with the help of a Case Sponsor. Be sure to follow all instructions carefully to avoid any delays in the acceptance and progression of your case. If you choose to fill this Petition out by hand, please make sure to write legibly.
Download the Favor of the Faith Petition Form (PDF - to print and fill out by hand)
Download the Favor of the Faith Petition Form (.doc file - to fill out electronically) *Make sure you are in "Print Layout" mode in order to maintain the correct formatting when printing.
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Case Sponsors
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Father John Cahoonfrcahoonstamericigh.comPastor -
Fr. Joy Thomasfrjoystamericigh.comParochial Vicar -
Mathew Abrahamdcnmathewabrahamgmail.comDeacon -
Claudia Serenoadultffstamericigh.comDirector of Adult Faith Formation -
Denise Riosmusicassistantstamericigh.comQuinceañera Coordinator / Music Ministry Assistant
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