 |
 |
|
 |
|||
 |
||||||
|
| :: You are here :: Home :: Archdiocesan Offices :: Marriage Tribunal | ||
|
Marriage Tribunal Catholic Pastoral Centre General Overview The presumption of Catholic Church law is that a person’s first marriage is binding until death unless proven otherwise. This applies to all marriages, not just those of Catholics. The ministry of the tribunal is to determine if a person is free to enter a new marriage in the Catholic Church or not. Such persons now permanently separated from their spouses (who are still living) may be either Catholics who married in a Catholic Church ceremony or one accepted by the Church (the Chancery deals with cases where they married outside the Church without permission - Form VIII), or non-Catholics now wishing to marry a Catholic. Services The tribunal interviews those seeking freedom to enter a new marriage in the Church and assists them to understand the way in which the law applies to their individual case. The tribunal processes cases for which it has competence and assists a petitioner living here to deal with another tribunal if necessary. The tribunal interviews witnesses living in the Archdiocese for other tribunals around the world. The tribunal processes a) cases of lack of canonical form for Oriental Christians; b) cases of marriage contracted despite impediments; c) cases for dissolution for lack of baptism or consummation; and d) cases in which there may have been insufficient consent by one or both spouses. The tribunal works with the parish priest when a person who has received a declaration of nullity wishes to enter a new marriage. The tribunal ensures that proper notation is made in the baptismal and marriage registers when a declaration of nullity is given. The tribunal alerts clients to the fact that there is a required special second marriage course for those who have been previously wed. It cooperates with Catholic Family Services which provides this course. Contact Patricia Chalmers - pchalmers@archtoronto.org
|
|
