[Georgia Girl 2]

When RFK’s brother Joe got a secret annullment from his first wife Sheila she had to fight for 10 years to get it reversed and her argument was that if the annullment was allowed to stand it would theologically negate the legitimacy of their teenage twins.

RFK jr used his vatican connections to get an annullment from his first wife over her adamant objections so he could remarry wife number 2 in the catholic church. I hate to be so jaded but I highly doubt he had any valid reason for an annullment after 12-13 years of marriage and several children.

How many divorced catholics do you know with really good reasons for being divorced that don’t have annullments? Probably a lot. I don’t know one divorced catholic that has gotten an annullment.

[Mrs. Don-o]

As I said before, there is no such thing as "theologically" "negating" the legitimacy of children. Theological illegitimacy of children does not exist in the Catholic Church. Not sure where you may have read or heard this, but keep in mind that there is a huge, full-time celebrity news-and-gossip industry out there churning out trash about the trash. I'd bet my right arm up to the elbow that few or none of them know or care 2 hoots about Catholic sacramental theology.

"I highly doubt he had any valid reason for an annullment after 12-13 years of marriage and several children."

Again, annulment has nothing, -zero - , to do with how many years they were together or how many children. It is an evaluation of the validity of the vows. Nothing more, nothing less.

If there was force or fraud or incapacity or ineligibility at the time of taking the vows, the vows were "null." That's what "nullity" means. A "finding of nullity" (annulment) means the vows were not validly made. Therefore no sacramenal marriage. It is not an evaluation of the quality of their x-number of years together or their x-number of children. It is the presence or absence of authentic vows at the time of the reception of the Sacrament of Matrimony. Do you get this?

How many divorced catholics do you know with really good reasons for being divorced that don’t have annullments? Probably a lot. I don’t know one divorced catholic that has gotten an annullment.

Civil divorce is not related to annulment. The Church neither recognizes nor prohibits civil divorce. The Church prohibits attempted "remarriage" in the church, because if the original, validly married spouse is still living, civil divorce or not, remarriage would constitute bigamy.

[SuziQ]

When RFK’s brother Joe got a secret annullment from his first wife Sheila she had to fight for 10 years to get it reversed and her argument was that if the annullment was allowed to stand it would theologically negate the legitimacy of their teenage twins.

Well, since Sheila is not Catholic, she can be forgiven for not knowing the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church in this matter. And she was wrong, but the media played up her 'concerns', because they like any story that they think makes the Church look bad.