If you are seeking an annulment of a previous marriage, please complete the request form below. You will be assigned an advocate who will assist you in the annulment process
The Catholic Church upholds the sacrament of marriage and the indissolubility of the marriage vows. At the same time, the Church recognizes that many people suffer the pain of broken marriages. Divorce can bring feelings of pain, guilt, and failure, but it can also bring about healing, forgiveness, hope, and peace. It was to the people who were hurt, the people who needed help, that Jesus Christ offered His special love and compassion, regardless of their situation.
Many people come to the Church seeking reconciliation. Many of them have suffered terribly in their former marriage. They need God’s grace to heal them so that they can go on with their lives and find peace. The Marriage Tribunal Ministry is here to offer compassionate care and to enable people to be fully reconciled with the Church. The Marriage Tribunal process encourages people to move away from fault-finding (with themselves and the former spouse) and to direct their attention toward healing the pain of divorce. It permits them to step back from the marriage and to identify those factors, conditions, or circumstances which prevented them from establishing a stable, permanent commitment.
If you are struggling with the pain of divorce and would like to learn more about the Tribunal process, please contact the Tribunal of the Diocese of Fort Worth: 817.945.9433
Most people recognize the commonly used term “annulment”; consequently, this term has been used in the following questions. However, the correct terminology is a “Declaration of Nullity” or a “Declaration of Invalidity”; this terminology has been used in the following answers.
Does an annulment mean that my marriage never existed?
No. While it is true that a civil annulment states that a marriage never existed, a Catholic Church’s Declaration of Invalidity does not dissolve a marriage or state that a marriage never existed. A Declaration of Invalidity states that specific factors prevented a couple from bringing about a valid and permanent marital bond.
Will an annulment make my children illegitimate?
No. A Catholic Church’s Declaration of Invalidity does not make children illegitimate. It has no civil effects on children and cannot be used to question a child’s paternity. It will not change the terms of a civil divorce, child custody, or child support.
If I am divorced but not remarried, and not living in a sexual relationship with anyone, can I receive Communion?
Yes. There is nothing preventing a divorced Catholic who has not remarried and is not living in a sexual relationship with anyone from receiving the sacraments of Eucharist (Communion), Penance (Confession), or Anointing of the Sick (Last Rites). You may also serve as a godparent for Baptism and a sponsor for Confirmation.
The penalty of automatic excommunication was removed by Pope Paul VI in November 1977. However, a divorced and remarried Catholic who has not received a declaration of nullity from the Church regarding a previous marriage or marriages, or who has remarried outside the Church, may not receive the sacraments. A person in this situation is urged to begin the process to request a declaration of nullity as soon as possible to see if this situation can be remedied.
“It is all God’s work. For it was God who was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, who gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19-20