[gdani]

Back in the 1960s, all it took was a “donation” to the local parish for my parents, both previously married, to get married to each other by the Church.

[FourtySeven]

Back in the 1960s, all it took was a “donation” to the local parish for my parents, both previously married, to get married to each other by the Church.

That's nice. And you know for a fact there was no actual finding of nullity by a tribunal with regards to your parent's annulment? It was just the "donation" and nothing else that enabled them to be married?

[Last Dakotan]

Back in the 1960s, all it took was a “donation” to the local parish for my parents, both previously married, to get married to each other by the Church.

Were they married to Buddhists? - 'cause the Catholic church doesn't recognize Buddhist marriages. Now I'm pretty sure the Buddhists don't recognize Catholic ones either...

I made a "donation" too when I got married. Seemly like a classy thing to do vs. making the guy work for free.

[Salvation]

That would not be true. I’m sure they had to fill out paperwork galore.

[NYer]

Back in the 1960s, all it took was a “donation” to the local parish for my parents, both previously married, to get married to each other by the Church.

Is that your recollection based on facts or what they told you? The Catholic Church does not give "divorces". It does grant an annulment but ONLY after the petitioners appear before a marriage tribunal. The truth is that civil divorce and a church annulment are two vastly different things. A divorce is concerned with the legal realities of marriage only; an annulment is concerned with the religious and spiritual element—the sacrament of marriage. A divorce focuses on the end of a marriage; an annulment looks at the beginning, the very moment the couple said "I do." A divorce looks at marriage in civil law; an annulment looks at marriage from the perspective of the Gospel and of Church doctrine. It is a myth that an annulment is "Divorce, Catholic style."