Maybe to make sure the man/woman isn't divorced because of something like unrepented adultery on their part (which would automatically exclude one from Holy Communion due to mortal sin)?
All of my great grandparents and one set of grandparents were separated for years and years because a divorce, in those days, was just about the worst thing you could do... in the minds of the laity, as well. You might not be excommunicated from the Church, but the neighbors and most of your family sure treated you like a leper! One set of great grandparents lived a made up a story that my g-grandfather was asthmatic and needed to be in a farm setting in New Hampshire for his health - although the wife and kids lived in Boston. This went on for 20 years, until he died. Another set maintained separate apartments for years.
My mother had an affair with a priest back in the early 70s, my parents divorced because of it and us kids were subject to many priestly talks by parish priests who thought my mother was a paragon of virtue because she was a Mass attender, pretty and nice. They would stop us and give us talks on how we should be more cooperative at home and help out my mother. Clueless. Oh yes, my mother applied for an annulment, my father opposed it and she got it anyway. She married again in the Church a few years later (not to the priest).
Took me a long time to get over it all and separate the men from the faith. Hard lesson learned early in life. Although the scandals are gross and ugly, I can weather them because I learned early on to ignore the barnacles and find out what the Church really taught and not just accept what someone told me.
Anyway, whatever happened to your family and whatever the stituation was, you didn't get support from the one place you should have been able to go to in times of need, and that hurts deeply. I'm sorry for the pain I know your family must have gone through. I'll keep you in my prayers and I hope that when you get sick of the liberalism and uncertainty of where you are now, you will come back home!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.