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Tribunal
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Catholic understanding of Holy Matrimony
One of the services our Tribunal can offer is to educate the public (Catholics and non-Catholics alike) on the Catholic understanding of Holy Matrimony and what is required for a valid marriage to exist. This helps to understand why and how, when a marriage has ended in civil divorce, the Tribunal may investigate that marriage to judge whether a valid marriage existed from the beginning. We are grateful to
Fr. Roger Keeler of the Oblate School of Theology for offering these helpful reflections on Marriage and Declarations of Nullity. Click the link below to view.
Fr. Keeler - Catholic Understanding of Holy MatrimonyCase sponsor training
Our Tribunal relies on the help of parish-based case sponsors who are appointed by their pastors and trained by the Tribunal. These can be priests, deacons or actively practicing Catholic laypersons. The process of seeking a Declaration of Nullity begins in the Catholic parish of the Petitioner or his/her intended spouse. The case sponsor will help the Petitioner discern the type of case (formal petition, lack of form, previous bond or privilege of the faith) and fill out the appropriate application form. The case sponsor will also conduct further interviews and accompany the Petitioner through the process. The following training videos are intended to assist case sponsors who have not attended a training in person or to serve as a refresher for those who have. Those who view the videos should also seek more personal guidance from their own pastor or Tribunal personnel. We appreciate your interest in this important ministry. Click the links below to view.
Fr. Keeler - Case Sponsor Training Day 1
Fr. Keeler - Case Sponsor Training Day 2Services
The Tribunal, according to the Code of Canon Law, is an extension of the Diocesan Bishop’s Judicial Ministry to the local Church; and, as such, is concerned in a special way with the quest for justice.
With its foundation built upon and obedient to the magisterial teaching of the Church, the Tribunal serves as a means of defining responsibilities and protecting rights as they are authentically proclaimed and legitimately codified in the Church’s law.
In addition to studying requests for nullity of marriage, the Tribunal also acts as a resource to the Diocesan Bishop and serves as a consultative office for clergy, religious, and laity as source of information regarding canonical matters.
Servicios
El Tribunal, de acuerdo con el Código de Derecho Canónico, es una extensión del Ministerio Judicial del Obispo Diocesano a la Iglesia local; y, como tal, se preocupa de manera especial por la búsqueda de justicia.
Con su fundamento construido y obediente a la enseñanza magisterial de la Iglesia, el Tribunal sirve como un medio para definir responsabilidades y proteger los derechos tal como están auténticamente proclamados y legítimamente codificados en la ley de la Iglesia.
Además de estudiar las solicitudes de nulidad del matrimonio, el Tribunal también actúa como un recurso para el Obispo Diocesano y sirve como una oficina consultiva para el clero, religiosos y laicos como fuente de información sobre asuntos canónicos.
Processes:
- Formal Petition for a Declaration of Nullity (fillable pdf)
- Petición Formal para una Declaración de Nulidad (Rellenable)
Forms/Applications
- Petition for a Declaration of Nullity due to the Lack of Canonical Form(fillable pdf)
- Petition (Libellus) for Declaration of Marriage Nullity Because of Previous Bond (Ligamen) (fillable pdf)
- Petition for Pauline Privilege (pdf)
- Petition for Petrine Privilege (pdf)
Procesos:
- Petición Formal para una Declaración de Nulidad (pdf)
- Petición Para Una Declaracion De Nulidad Debido A La Falta De Forma Canonica (pdf)
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MYTH: A Catholic who divorces is excommunicated and no longer a part of the Church.
TRUTH: This penalty was withdrawn in 1884. A divorced Catholic who has not remarried outside the Church remains a Catholic and may participate fully in the Church and receive Communion under the usual conditions. Even though this person may not be planning to remarry, he/she may still apply for a declaration of invalidity (annulment) to have peace of mind and to put closure to that painful stage of his/her life.
MYTH: A Catholic who divorces and remarries, without a declaration of invalidity
(an annulment) is excommunicated.
TRUTH: This penalty was removed in 1977. Catholic Church law permits a second marriage if a declaration of invalidity of the first marriage is granted. A divorced Catholic who remarries outside the Church is not excommunicated, still remains an active member of the Church, and may still attend Mass but may not receive Communion until a declaration of invalidity is granted for the previous marriage and the present union convalidated. (This also applies to a Catholic who marries a person who was previously married and whose former spouse is still alive.)
MYTH: If a declaration of invalidity (an annulment) is granted by the Tribunal, this decision implies that the person never had a marriage. In other words, the marriage never existed and the children are illegitimate.
TRUTH: The Church does recognize the civil aspects of the marriage and holds the basic presumption that the couple entered a valid marriage. The Church is very clear in its protection of the legitimacy of children. A declaration of invalidity determines that, at the time of the wedding, the marriage lacked an element(s) that the Catholic Church teaches is essential to marriage and especially to a sacramental marriage. The absence of this essential element(s) eventually caused the breakdown of the marriage.
MYTH: One has to pay a large sum of money in order to obtain a declaration of invalidity (annulment).
TRUTH: There is no fee associated with the annulment process. The operating costs of running the Tribunal office, such as office staff salaries, stationery, postage, etc., comes from the generous donors who support the Appeal for Catholic Ministries (ACM). Thus, those who contribute to ACM are contributing to the costs associated with processing your petition.
MYTH: If a declaration of invalidity (annulment) is granted by the Tribunal, it allows only the Petitioner to remarry.
TRUTH: An affirmative decision ordinarily frees both parties to remarry in the Church. However, based on the circumstances of each individual case, the Tribunal may recommend or require that a party seek pastoral and/or psychological counseling or some type of treatment prior to entering another marriage. This is done so that the same destructive patterns that caused the breakdown of the previous marriage will not be repeated. Also, a party who has not abided by the civil court provisions for payment of child support will be prohibited from remarrying in the Church until those obligations are fulfilled.
MYTH: For every previous marriage, the formal Tribunal process takes approximately 1 year in the Diocese of Beaumont. Factors, such as cooperation of the witnesses or Respondent, can alter the time.
TRUTH: Not every situation requires the formal process. By Church law, Catholics must be married in the presence of a Catholic priest or deacon and two witnesses (canonical form). A marriage entered into by a Catholic before a Justice of the Peace or before a non-Catholic minister (without a dispensation) is, by Church law, invalid due to lack of canonical form. The Tribunal process utilized in this case to determine invalidity is a much shorter process in which documents (baptism certificate of the Catholic party, civil marriage license, and final divorce decree) are the only proofs required. In the Diocese of Beaumont, the small fee for this process has been eliminated.
Rev. 7-10-2022
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MITO: Un católico que se divorcia es excomulgado y ya no forma parte de la Iglesia.
VERDAD: Esta pena fue retirada en 1884. Un católico divorciado que no se ha vuelto a casar fuera de la Iglesia sigue siendo católico y puede participar plenamente en la Iglesia y recibir la Comunión en las condiciones habituales. A pesar de que esta persona puede no estar planeando volver a casarse, él / ella todavía puede solicitar una declaración de invalidez (anulación) para tener tranquilidad y poner fin a esa etapa dolorosa de su vida.
MITO: Un católico que se divorcia y se vuelve a casar, sin una declaración de invalidez (una anulación) es excomulgado.
VERDAD: Esta pena fue eliminada en 1977. La ley de la Iglesia Católica permite un segundo matrimonio si se concede una declaración de invalidez del primer matrimonio. Un católico divorciado que se vuelve a casar fuera de la Iglesia no es excomulgado, sigue siendo un miembro activo de la Iglesia y aún puede asistir a misa, pero no puede recibir la Comunión hasta que se otorgue una declaración de invalidez por el matrimonio anterior y convalidar la unión actual. (Esto también se aplica a un católico que se casa con una persona que estaba casada anteriormente y cuyo ex cónyuge todavía está vivo).
MITO: Si el Tribunal concede una declaración de nulidad (una anulación), esta decisión implica que la persona nunca tuvo un matrimonio. En otras palabras, el matrimonio nunca existió y los hijos son ilegítimos.
VERDAD: La Iglesia reconoce los aspectos civiles del matrimonio y tiene la presunción básica de que la pareja entró en un matrimonio válido. La Iglesia es muy clara en su protección de la legitimidad de los niños. Una declaración de nulidad determina que, en el momento de la boda, el matrimonio carecía de un elemento (s) que la Iglesia Católica enseña que son esencial para el matrimonio y especialmente para un matrimonio sacramental. La ausencia de este(los) elemento(s) esencial(es) finalmente causó la ruptura del matrimonio.
MITO: Uno tiene que pagar una gran suma de dinero para obtener una declaración de nulidad (anulación).
VERDAD: No hay ningún cargo asociado con el proceso de anulación. Los costos operativos del funcionamiento de la oficina del Tribunal, como los salarios del personal de la oficina, papelería, franqueo, etc., provienen de los generosos donantes que apoyan la Campaña para los Ministerios Católicos (ACM). Por lo tanto, quienes contribuyen a ACM están contribuyendo a los costos asociados con el procesamiento de su petición.
MITO: Si el Tribunal concede una declaración de nulidad (anulación), solo permite que el peticionario se vuelva a casar.
VERDAD: Una decisión afirmativa normalmente libera a ambas partes para volver a casarse en la Iglesia. Sin embargo, sobre la base de las circunstancias de cada caso individual, el Tribunal puede recomendar o exigir que una parte busque asesoramiento pastoral y/o psicológico o algún tipo de tratamiento antes de contraer otro matrimonio. Esto se hace para que no se repitan los mismos patrones destructivos que causaron la ruptura del matrimonio anterior. Además, cualquier parte que no haya cumplido con las disposiciones de la corte civil para el pago de la manutención de los hijos, tendrá prohibido volver a casarse en la Iglesia hasta que se cumplan esas obligaciones.
MITO: Por cada matrimonio anterior, el proceso formal del Tribunal toma aproximadamente 1 año en la Diócesis de Beaumont. Factores, como la cooperación de los testigos o del demandado, pueden alterar el tiempo.
VERDAD: No todas las situaciones requieren el proceso formal. Según la ley de la Iglesia, los católicos deben casarse en presencia de un sacerdote o diácono católico debidamente delegado y dos testigos (forma canónica). Un matrimonio celebrado por un católico ante un juez de paz o ante un ministro no católico (sin dispensa) es, por ley de la Iglesia, inválido debido a la falta de forma canónica. El proceso del Tribunal utilizado en este caso para determinar la invalidez es un proceso mucho más corto en el que los documentos (certificado de bautismo de la parte católica, licencia de matrimonio civil y decreto de divorcio final) son las únicas pruebas requeridas. En la Diócesis de Beaumont, la pequeña tarifa para este proceso ha sido eliminada.
Rev. 7-10-2022
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Contact Us
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Very Rev. Kevin L. Badeauxkbadeauxdobcentral.orgJudicial Vicar -
Nilda Ramireznramirezdioceseofbmt.orgAdministrative Assistant
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Very Rev. Roger Keeler, J.C.D., Ph.D.rkeelerdioceseofbmt.orgChancellor and Adjutant Judicial Vicar
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Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus
On Tuesday, September 8, 2015, Pope Francis issued Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus
[The Lord Jesus, Gentle Judge], a document revising the marriage nullity process. The mass media, including even some Catholic news outlets, have reported a great deal of misinformation about the changes.Read the following FAQ to find out what the changes really are and how they might affect you. (Prepared through the Diocese of Beaumont)
- Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (Spanish pdf)
- Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus (English pdf)
- Frequently asked Questions (pdf)
Off-site Information-Resources:
- Why the Church Is Granting More Annulments
- Understanding Annulments
- Where Do You stand with the Catholic Church? The Dilemma of Divorced Catholics
- Do I Need an Annulment?
Diocesan Judges:- Very Rev. Joseph Khanh Ho, S.T.L., J.C.L.
- Rev. Martin L. Nelson, J.C.L.
- Rev. Steven L. Leger, S.T.L., J.C.L.
- Very Rev. Kevin L. Badeaux, J.C.L., S.T.L.
- Rev. Ernie Carpio, J.C.L.
- Very Rev. Sinclair K. Oubre, J.C.L.
- Very Rev. Roger Keeler, J.C.D., Ph.D.
Promoter of Justice:- Very Rev. Sinclair K. Oubre J.C.L.
Defender of the Bond:- Rev. Ernie Carpio, J.C.L.
- Rev. Martin L. Nelson, J.C.L.
- Very Rev. Sinclair K. Oubre J.C.L.
- Very Rev. Roger Keeler, J.C.D., Ph.D.
Court Psychological Experts:- Raul Espericueta, LMSW, CCTSI
- Jose E. Carranza Ps.-RCSWI, CEO
Auditors:- Rev. Phillip Tran, J.C.L. candidate
- Deacon Joe Michael Dodson, J.D.
- Deacon Frank J. Maida, J.D.
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