I find all of this annulment, and can’t marry an albatross around the neck of innocents that should not be. I agree that divorce is terrible and God hates it, however, he also states to beware those ‘who forbid to marry’ and ‘strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.”
My catholic friend years ago went through an annulment he did not want, and they had three children, so she could marry someone else....He said something profound “How do I tell the best man that the marriage didn’t happen, because he was there, or my parents. How do you tell your children you have never been married to their mother, when obviously by the wedding photos you were?”
I find the Catholic Church immature and not understanding scripture when you can only site those Scriptures meant to discourage divorce. Jesus himself made it clear when he condemned adultery, ‘if you think it in your mind it’s sin”... and that includes adultery, etc’.....’he who is without sin cast the first stone’ and so on.
Also, in the same Bible it says ‘there is only ONE UNFORGIVABLE SIN and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” So that would mean suicide and divorce are forgivable sins...meaning they were put in the sea of forgetfulness with all other sins forgiven.
Who in their right man believes some Priest has the right to dissolve a marriage God attended? Ha! More realistic is that he forgives those who make mistakes, and no piece of paper will change that, IMHO.
(not for you Marshmallow)....AND TO THOSE WHO WANT TO JUMP INTO THIS CONVERSATION, DO NOT SEND ME THOSE TWELVE PARAGRAPHS FROM THE BIBLE THAT CAN BE REFUTED WITH TWELVE OTHERS...just read the whole Bible, pray, and get educated about the GOD who forgives sins...period.
The story, simply, is that my high school classmate married a guy who, on marrying her, BEAT the living daylights out of her all the time.
Being Catholic he was SURE that annulment was impossible and divorce improbable. They had FIVE children.
One day "mom" told her daughter to go see a priest.
Daughter did.
Daughter got an annulment because there was NO marriage because husband INTENDED on beating his wife as soon as they married and NEVER intended on stopping. It was therefor not a valid marriage because HIS intent the entire time was NOT to "love and cherish." NO VOWS were kept.
So, I asked how my high school classmate was doing NOW and her mother said that she is married to a VERY sweet guy who adores her and she is very happy.
It's unusual to hear a REAL "happy ending." But, it's a true story.
When the panel (made up of clergy and lay people) comes to the conclusion that an annulment is warranted, THEN the marriage is annulled.
Of course all sins can be forgiven. But that presumes that you have the intention of not sinning again. A person who divorces and marries another commits adultery. Our Lord’s words could not be any clearer. To be forgiven any sin, one must be sorry for having committed it, which obviously includes the intention of not committing it anymore. In the case of divorce and “remarriage” that means reconciling with one’s true spouse. It’s a hard teaching. But it’s not mine. It’s Christ’s. If you have a problem with it, take it up with Him.
Your friend does not understand the annulment process. Yes, they were married, he can tell his kids. They are not fatherless as many people claim.
There is always a lot of hurt in a divorce or an annulment.
The priest says that by the authority granted to him he grants absolution of our sins.
That authority is Biblical of course and I know I don't need to quote YOU anything about that from the Bible as I am sure you are cognizant of it: "Whatever you bind on earth...
Beginning Experience, a peer facilitated weekend for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one
It's also linked on my FR homepage.
“How do I tell the best man that the marriage didn’t happen, because he was there, or my parents. How do you tell your children you have never been married to their mother, when obviously by the wedding photos you were?”
That statement is total and utter BS and Red Herring and made by someone who had no idea about which he spoke.
The Church does not say that a ceremony didn’t happen or that the ceremony was not valid - both untrue.
If the Church finds after a long period of inquiry that one or both of them were not properly disposed to make a marriage vow then the marriage contract is void.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Sep1998/feature1.asp
Try reading instead of guessing.
AMDG