Church Annulments

The Marriage Tribunal of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is dedicated to the ministry of service to all divorced persons. Our services are open to persons of all faiths and in all walks of life.

The Marriage Tribunal has a two-fold ministry that involves protecting the exercise of rights given in Church law for those who might be seeking possible remarriage in the Catholic Church and helping participants experience closure, healing and reconciliation with their faith community.

These participants are persons who have experienced the breakup of a marriage and are requesting a review of that marriage in the hopes of receiving an annulment.

An annulment, also know as a declaration of invalidity, is a statement by the Church community, made after long and serious study by the Marriage Tribunal, that one of the elements seen as essential for a binding marriage was not present in the parties’ exchange of marital consent. This declaration recognizes that a legal marriage existed and that all children born of this union remain legitimate. Children are a gift from God and are entitled to the love and support of both parents as well as the faith community.

The Church understands marriage as a covenant by which a man and woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, directed toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children.

The Church also understands that in our modern world, some married couples are faced with very difficult challenges that may lead to the breakdown of their covenant. The Church as a whole, and the Marriage Tribunal, in particular, strives to reach out to those suffering the pain of divorce.

The Annulment Process
The process usually begins at the local parish level. Parish priests, deacons, and specially trained lay persons are advocates whose role is to assist persons with the technical aspects of the process as well as lend emotional and sometimes spiritual support to those seeking an annulment.

Just as each marriage is unique, each annulment or marriage case is also unique. A call to an advocate in your local parish to discuss your particular situation will help you determine the type of marriage case you may have and will give you the information needed to begin the process.

In the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, all are welcome to call the Tribunal Office directly for information and possible contacts in your local parish.

The review of a marriage is most commonly done through the formal case process. In this process, the person applying, the petitioner, will be asked to provide basic information such as the names, current addresses, and baptismal information for both persons in the marriage, as well as their marriage license and divorce decree. If more than one marriage is involved, each marriage will be addressed separately, therefore the same information will be needed for each marriage.

Church law requires that the former spouse, the respondent, be informed of the request for an annulment and invited to participate. Participation by the respondent is encouraged, but optional. The respondent also has the right to express their reasons if they object to the granting of a church annulment.

The petitioner is asked to provide testimony that includes information about themselves, the former spouse and their family backgrounds, their courtship and married life. The respondent is invited and encouraged to give similar testimony.

The petitioner is required, and the respondent is invited, to give witnesses. Witnesses, persons who knew both parties before and after marriage, who would be willing to fill out a brief questionnaire about their courtship and married life, are needed to corroborate and add to the information submitted by the petitioner. Close friends, family members and former in-laws are good choices for witnesses.

It is important to note that all testimony given by the petitioner, respondent and witnesses will be kept in strict confidence, unless these persons instruct otherwise.

It is the role of the advocate to assist the petitioner in gathering the basic information of names, addresses, etc., necessary documents such as the marriage license and divorce decree, and the petitioner’s testimony and submit it to the Marriage Tribunal for review.

It is the role of the Tribunal staff members to accept the request for the review of the former marriage, to determine if there are sufficient grounds needed for the declaration of nullity, and to gather testimony from the witnesses and respondent if they chose to participate.

The review of a former marriage is taken very seriously. All information is kept in the strictest confidence. Careful attention is given to the individual rights of the petitioner and respondent and the process is closely monitored to insure that proper procedure is followed as prescribed by Church law. It is ultimately the Tribunal judges who give a decision on the validity of the marriage.

Given the fact that such a decision regarding the declaration of invalidity for a particular marriage is so important, all judgments of invalidity are reviewed by a second court to see that procedural law was followed. The parties themselves can request their own appeal of a decision if they have further compelling proofs not previously submitted.

There are fees involved in this process. Fees vary from diocese to diocese, and should be discussed with an advocate. Likewise, discuss with an advocate, any financial difficulties that may hinder your ability to pay the fee. No one is ever denied the services of the Marriage Tribunal in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph because of an inability to meet this financial obligation.