It is the hope of those working in Marriage Tribunal ministry that this process is an extension of the healing and reconciling mission of Jesus Christ, as well as an opportunity for both parties to a former marriage to look at themselves, their marriage and their future, and evaluate these realities in light of the Gospel. Toward that end, the Marriage Tribunal of the Diocese of Sioux City stands ready to assist and support those who seek to take advantage of this judicial and pastoral process.  

Please send all prenuptial files and nullity case needs to our Tribunal office
P.O. Box 3379
Sioux City 51102-3379

Marriage Nullity Workshops

Anyone who would like to learn more about the marriage nullity process in the Catholic Church is invited to attend any of the following workshops.  Father Michael Erpelding of the Tribunal of the Diocese of Sioux City will lead these sessions.

If planning to attend, please contact Terri at the Tribunal, 712.233.7533, or [email protected] so that adequate supplies are available the evening of the workshop.  If you reach the Tribunal voicemail, please leave your name, phone number, the session you plan to attend and

5 THINGS EVERY CATHOLIC SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ANNULMENT

A Catholic Annulment States the Marriage Was Never Legal

A Catholic annulment is also called a decree of nullity. Nullity means invalid. When you are asking for a Catholic annulment, you are saying that the marriage was never valid in the first place due to either certain circumstances not being in place. For example, one can say they were not of sound mind when the marriage took place, or if one party never intended to commit to a lifelong, exclusive marriage. Thus, a Catholic annulment petitions the church to open a hearing to determine if the marriage was, in fact, not authorized. That being said, the marriage still existed and your children (if any) are not illegitimate because at the time of marriage, you were legally considered married in God's and the church's eyes.

The Purpose of an Annulment is to Receive a Cleansing

Many people believe that a divorce is the by-all-end-all to a marriage. A civil divorce is only legal in the eyes of man's law and government. In the eyes of God, a man and woman are married for life when they stand before Him and say "I do." Thus, grounds such as "irreconcilable differences" don't exist for God. Thus, if a Catholic were to obtain a civil divorce and not a Catholic annulment, they would be committing adultery in the eyes of the Lord. By obtaining a Catholic annulment, you are, in essence, saving yourself from sin and receiving a cleansing in God's eyes. This is also why you are allowed to remarry because you are considered pure once again as you were before your first marriage, i.e. a virgin.

Catholic Annulment Can Be a Long Process

You can think of a Catholic annulment as an examination of a marriage. When you file for annulment with the church, you are asking it to open an investigation into if a marriage was valid or not. As you can imagine, this can take time. A written testimony must be given as to why the marriage was invalid, and witnesses familiar with the marriage must be willing to answer questions about the petitioners and about the marriage. Like any investigation, this takes time. 

There is No Time Limit for a Catholic Annulment

A Catholic annulment hinges on the presumption that one of the six elements of a proper marriage was missing at the time of marriage. These six elements include:

• You are free to marry

• You are not already married

• You consented to the marriage, usually with marriage vows

• You intend to marry for life, not commit adultery, and be open to children

• You intend to treat one another with respect

• You were married in the presence of two witnesses and an authorized Church minister

Just like God's timing, you can realize your marriage was null at any point within your marriage, whether you've been married 30 days, 30 weeks, or 30 years. Obviously, the longer you are married, the harder a Catholic annulment will be because of your shared time with your spouse. It will also be hard on the children. 

Catholic Annulments Offer Healing

There's no doubt that divorces are messy, painful, stressful, and difficult. There are so many emotions involved, and during a divorce, spouses can say mean, hurtful things because emotions are running so high. While civil divorces are painful, a Catholic annulment is meant to be as painless as possible.

There are many reasons that people want a Catholic annulment, from wanting to remarry within the Catholic Church to wanting to move on after your divorce. The process is not as emotionally-charged as a civil dispute. All that is required are witnesses and a written testimony as to what element was missing at the time of your marriage. In truth, a Catholic annulment is infinitely easier than a civil divorce, which usually results in less acrimony amongst the parties.