Annulments

“Annulment” is the word used to refer to a Catholic “declaration of nullity,” when a Church tribunal (a Catholic Church court) declares that a marriage thought to be valid according to Church law actually fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union.

The Catholic Church presumes that marriages are valid and lifelong; therefore, unless the ex-spouse has died, the Church requires the divorced Catholic to obtain a declaration of nullity before re-marrying. The tribunal process seeks to determine if something essential was missing from the couple’s relationship from the the time of the wedding. If so, then the Church can declare that a valid sacramental marriage was never actually brought about on the wedding day.

Learn more here.

The Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Detroit processes the annulment requests that are submitted through St. Kieran. Learn more at http://www.aod.org/being-catholic/marriage-and-family/annulment-information/

How to start the process: Several steps are involved when asking for a declaration of nullity (or annulment). To start the process, please contact Michelle Simpson, Family Life Coordinator at 586-781-4942, ext 114 or email at [email protected] to set up an appointment.