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THE MARRIAGE TRIBUNAL |
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The Marriage TRibunal |
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Welcome to the homepage of the Marriage Tribunal of the Diocese of Crookston. We are here to assist you as you consider whether you are interested in pursuing a declaration of nullity, if you desire to convalidate a marriage celebrated before a civil official or a minister from another religious denomination, or if you are simply seeking information about the legal system of the Catholic Church. The primary work of the Marriage Tribunal is granting declarations of nullity. A declaration of nullity, sometimes referred to as an ‘annulment’, is a statement by the Catholic Church that, at the time of the marriage ceremony, some essential element was missing which prevented a valid marriage bond from being formed. In attempting to determine whether all the necessary elements were present to make a valid marriage bond, the Marriage Tribunal considers the intentions of the parties at the time of the marriage, their attitudes toward marriage, and personality factors which could affect either parties’ ability to form a stable and permanent relationship. The Marriage Tribunal is not trying to determine whether a relationship existed at all. Rather, what we are trying to determine is whether the relationship contained all the elements seen as essential for a binding marital union in the Catholic Church. The decision of the Marriage Tribunal has no civil effects in the United States, nor does it have any effect on the civil divorce proceedings or settlement. The granting of a declaration of nullity does not affect the legitimacy of any children who may have been born of the union.
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Reathel Giannonatti 1200 Memorial Drive PO Box 610 Crookston, MN 56716 |
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