All About Annulments

"When our friends fall into sin, we ought not to deny them the amenities of friendship, so long as there is hope of their mending their ways ...
When, however, they fall into very great wickedness, and become incurable, we ought no longer to show them friendliness."

— St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, Q. 25, a. 6, ad. 2)

The word "annulment" can be misleading. An annulment within the Catholic Church doesn't make the marriage null, as if it never existed; rather, an annulment means that a marriage blessed by the Church and thought to be authentic turned out to be inauthentic because it failed to fulfill one or more of the fundamental requirements of a sacramental, indissoluble martial bond. 

A close-up of a wilting yellow flower with dark seed or fruit center and green leaves in the background.

A Catholic marriage is valid if it fits these criteria:

  • Both members of the union are free to marry

  • They give their full and open consent to the marriage, freely and without coercion

  • They intend their marriage to be permanent, pledge to remain faithful, and are open to life and nurturing a family

  • They intend the good of the other and agree to never do harm or evil to their partner, in any capacity; "love is patient, love is kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude" (1 Cor 13:4-5)

  • Their consent to marry is witnessed by two people before an ordained Catholic clergy member


Abuse of one's spouse is a grave sin, and no one truly gives their full and open consent to be married to an abusive partner. If you're in an abusive marriage, seeking the counsel of a priest specifically trained in domestic violence can be the first step in obtaining healing and Christ-centered advice.

For further information on Catholic annulments, read Msgr. Charles Pope's article "What is Annulment and How Does it Differ from Divorce?"

​You can seek annulment information at your local parish or by contacting your diocese. 

If you want to learn more about what the Catholic Church teaches about domestic abuse, the potential of divorce and the healing of annulments, read chapter eight of my book, Don’t Plant Your Seeds Among Thorns: A Catholic’s Guide to Recognizing and Healing from Domestic Abuse.