Question 248 – Do annulments offer any spiritual benefits?

Interview Organization: The Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima
Interviewer Name: Christopher Wendt
Date: January 14, 2024
"Annulment" is inaccurately used; it should be "declaration of nullity," recognizing a marriage that never existed. Through a serious canonical process, it allows valid remarriage in the Church. However, since the Second Vatican Council, some nullity processes have been superficial, risking invalidating valid marriages and resembling a divorce promotion.
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Transcript:

Well, "annulment" is not the most accurate term to use here. Instead, it should be "declaration of nullity" of a marriage that was never valid to begin with; no marriage ever occurred.

In this case, when it is proven through a serious canonical process, there can be a benefit. Of course, this allows the person to marry validly in the Church because marriage is a sacrament, and an invalid union cannot form a sacramental bond or integrate into a Catholic family with a spouse and children.

Therefore, in such cases, it supports spiritual well-being. However, in practice, since the Second Vatican Council, in many countries, the processes for declaring marriages null have sometimes been superficially conducted. This may have led to valid marriages being erroneously declared invalid, resembling a promotion of divorce within the Catholic Church. Thus, we need to be very cautious in these matters.