Would a couple who had excellent marriage prep have a harder time getting an annulment?

[Michie]

Q: I’ve noticed that in many flourishing Catholic communities with a lot of young adults (such as some Catholic university communities, or parishes in some big cities with an active young adult ministry), marriage preparation programs often seem to go far beyond what you find in most parishes. I’m thinking of things like retreats, serious catechesis, good mentorship programs for engaged couples, etc. This had me wondering, would a couple who had this level of marriage preparation have a harder time getting an annulment if their marriage ever broke down?

A: The short answer is that it would all depend on the specifics of the case in question. It is possible that excellent marriage preparation could “work against” a couple seeking a declaration of nullity in some circumstances. But most of the time, it probably would not.

Fostering healthy marriages​

Continued below.

Would a couple who had excellent marriage prep have a harder time getting an annulment?

Does Catholic marriage prep affect annulment cases? Explore how strong formation impacts validity and what tribunals actually consider.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

 

[seeking.IAM]

The whole annulment thing is something of a curiosity among those of us in other traditions. Out of curiosity, is there any data on the percentage of requests that are granted vs. those denied? I have a professional interest as a marriage and family therapist.

 

[Michie]

The whole annulment thing is something of a curiosity among those of us in other traditions. Out of curiosity, is there any data on the percentage of requests that are granted vs. those denied? I have a professional interest as a marriage and family therapist.

I just read that it is 90% or more granted in the U.S. statistics around the world are harder to find. The 90% estimate can be misleading though because many are rejected during initial prescreening process. But I guess the U.S. has a higher rate of annulments granted than the rest of the world.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

I just read that it is 90% or more granted in the U.S. statistics around the world are harder to find. The 90% estimate can be misleading though because many are rejected during initial prescreening process. But I guess the U.S. has a higher rate of annulments granted than the rest of the world.

See, now you have me interested.

I HAD to go out and do some research. This article sums thing up worldwide on the subject.

The USA does have more annulments than other countries BUT, we also have more Catholics than other countries AND we have money.

The disparity of annulments between developed and undeveloped countries appears to be based on there just not being available tribunals in a lot of countries. They are expensive to create and operate.

I also grant that the article is a little old (2011) but I don't think the situation has changed much.

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2011/04/28/annulment-nation/

 

[Michie]

I didn’t pay a dime for my annulment when I was converting.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

I didn’t pay a dime for my annulment when I was converting.

Well, that's sort of the point, if you read the article. But, someone has to pay for the training and operation of Annulment tribunals and in developing countries, these resources my simply not be possible. Allow me to quote it here:

Why the disparity?


Several factors contribute to the high number of annulments granted in the United States relative to other nations, according to several sources well acquainted with the annulment process.


“Tribunals can be expensive to run and canonists are expensive to educate,” says Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, who himself holds a doctorate in canon law. “Therefore, I would imagine that in some countries where the resources are few, and the availability for training is minimal, there is likely to be little opportunity for a Catholic to process an annulment petition.”


Bishop Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, who also holds a doctorate in canon law, agrees. “The Church in developed countries—the US in particular— has been able and willing to educate large numbers of canonists, especially priests, and operate sophisticated tribunal offices,” he says. “Churches in less developed nations generally cannot afford the money or personnel or both. I have seen firsthand how this lack is an injustice to the Catholic faithful in these places. The popes have consistently urged the ‘richer’ churches to share their canonical resources with their poorer sisters.”


The traditional law-abiding nature of Americans may also contribute to the magnitude of annulments. “We have a tendency in this country to follow the law and to abide by it,” says Bishop Olmsted. “So if the Church has a legal process for annulments, Americans will usually enter into those legal procedures.”