What About Annulments?

Posted on July 25th, 2008

Q. When should an RCIA director seek to learn if any participants have potential annulment issues? What are the first couple steps that must taken regarding an annulment?

A. Annulment issues need to be identified as early as possible, for the sake of beginning the annulment process for those whose living situations might call for pastoral scrutiny, and for the sake of allowing a participant to move forward to sacramental initiation, if possible, in a timely fashion commensurate with their readiness and desire to become a Catholic.

The first steps are to conduct a private interview to determine the need for an annulment, and the nature of the case. The pastor, if not conducting the initial interview personally, should be involved as soon as a case comes to light. While taking the time to ensure a participant understands the Catholic Church’s teachings regarding annulments, the initial interview should in no way impart a false hope or make any promises about the outcome of a case, however well intentioned. Beyond this, a pastor should assist the participant in assembling a package for the diocesan tribunal, and encourage the RCIA team to be attentive to the pastoral needs and sensitivities inherent in annulment cases that impact a participant’s likelihood of sacramental participation.

Tags: Annulments
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