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.
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.
Dear friend: If you are seeking answers about the Catholic annulment process after having gone through the pain of divorce, my heart is with you. While you certainly want technical answers to questions about the “process,” you’re probably searching even more for answers to the aching questions that weigh heavy on your heart: How in the world did I end up here? How could God allow my marriage to end in divorce? Am I still accepted in my Church? And perhaps most importantly, Where do I go from here? These are critical questions, and you deserve honest answers. Rest assured, you are not alone. I speak from experience. I’ve been where you are and know what you are going through. In Mending the Heart: The Catholic Annulment Companion, I walk with you through the annulment process, taking a close look at the changes Pope Francis has made, and helping you discover ways to find hope and healing in the midst of heartbreak. Know that God wants to heal you through this process. He wants to bring triumph out of the pain you are experiencing now, and set you on the path to a new, deeply fulfilling life. In Christ, Lisa Duffy ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Duffy is a Catholic author, speaker, and divorce recovery expert who experienced the tragedy of an unwanted divorce in the early 1990s. She has nearly 20 years of personal experience helping people rebuild their lives after divorce. Author of many books on divorce recovery and personal divorce recovery coach, she has also instituted the Journey of Hope program for Catholic divorce support groups in parishes across the United States and in Canada. Aside from her dedication to her family, Lisa speaks at conferences, appears on television and radio, coaches one-on-one and in groups, and holds online events. She resides in South Carolina with her husband and three children.
Marriage will always be a subject of law and of great interest to both legal scholars and sociologists alike because the anthropology that support marriage perceives justice to be a particular reality. With respect to realization of justice in marriage, the Catholic intellectual tradition has identified a legal category that does not exist anywhere else--namely, the consensual incapacity to marry. the Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983 contains a juridical innovation (canon 1095), but this has not yet been fully digested by American canonists. Furthermore, its application reveals a vast disconnect with historical exegesis. In the last fifty years, American canonical practice in the sphere of marriage law has lost its foundation. The consequences of this include mechanisms of judgment that are rendered incoherent although not inactive--in other words, the application of law in the Catholic Church moves forward without a clear indication of its anthropological basis. Canon law, then, must either be oppressive or absolutely meaningless. There is one canon in particular that in its formula of consensual incapacity to marry is the center of the attempt to define and resolve this question: canon 1095. As of this moment, however, there is no comprehensive treatment of this canon in its current usage and how it developed into positive law after hundreds of years of implicit reference to the grounds for marriage nullity that it now indicates. professors of canon law, members of the Roman Curia and judicial bodies acknowledge that more than a general response to this crisis of law and marriage what might be needed most is a revision of this single canon. they furthermore acknowledge that American canonical practice is perhaps the most influential in the world. A profile of this canon in American jurisprudence is fundamental and demanded presently. There are over one hundred tribunals of varying functions, over two hundred seminaries and more than five thousand seminarians (each year), seventy million Catholics and tens of millions of these Catholics call their vocation marriage. The question of marriage validity is eternal--both with respect to its relation to an historical past as well as individual present day unions. the readership is vast and this book will be included in syllabi in seminaries, Catholic universities and other faculties of sociology, religion and law. It will be a reference guide in tribunals and studied in the course of legislative reform, but it will also be accessible to both scholars and laypersons. the question of consensual incapacity is asked tens of thousands of times each year anew and there is not yet a definitive study that provides answers and guidance for further development of this notion. Another example of the longevity of this work: the manual it will effectively replace was in print for twenty years with five editions (L. Wrenn, 1970, CuA).
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.
"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
Systematically describes the theory and practice of ICSID annulment proceedings by thoroughly analysing this mechanism in light of the annulment decisions rendered so far, and alongside existing literature.
This helpful, up-to-date guide cuts through the red tape and the confusing terminology about annulments. In simple language it provides practical information about each of the steps in the annulment process. It also offers suggestions about healing the hurts of divorce and moving forward to new and healthier relationships.
