“Annulment” is the word used to refer to a Catholic “declaration of nullity,” when a Church tribunal (a Catholic Church court) declares that a marriage thought to be valid according to Church law actually fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union.
The Catholic Church presumes that marriages are valid and lifelong; therefore, unless the ex-spouse has died, the Church requires the divorced Catholic to obtain a declaration of nullity before re-marrying. The tribunal process seeks to determine if something essential was missing from the couple’s relationship from the time of the wedding. If so, then the Church can declare that a valid sacramental marriage was never actually brought about on the wedding day. Learn more at https://scdiocese.org/office-of-the-tribunal.
The Tribunal of the Diocese of Sioux City processes the annulment requests that are submitted through Holy Cross Parish. Learn more at https://scdiocese.org/office-of-the-tribunal.
Several steps are involved when asking for a declaration of nullity (or annulment) and can take anywhere from twelve months to two years. To start the process, contact Fr. Randy Schon.