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Thursday, 10 September 2015

Have You Incurred an Annulment latae sententiae?

Have I?
Am I living in sin?

Himself is by nature a worrier, so I am certainly not going to let any hint of my dread slip in front of him, but after reading the great British theologian and saved person, Eccles, I don't mind telling you, I am askeered.

Image result for priest with guitar at mass
"Be not askeered.... I go before you always"
Yeah, well I am.
As a special gesture to celebrate the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has declared that all marriages contracted by Catholics are now null and void. Fed up with handling numerous claims for annulment, the Holy Father has in characteristic style cut all the red tape and granted freedom to all previously-married couples.  
As a special bargain offer, those couples who did not really want an annulment (believed to be a small minority) will be allowed to remarry free of charge.
Said one unhappy husband, Fred Cheese, "We've been together now for 40 years, and it don't seem a day too much. There ain't a lady livin' in the land as I'd swop for my dear old Dutch." However, his wife, Dutch Cheese, replied "Er, don't count your chickens, Fred. If we remarry you can start doing the cleaning, for a start." 
I can't be the only one who remembers the kerfuffle caused by that great German theologian and saved person, Cardinal Kasper passing on the opinions of his good buddy the Pope:
I’ve spoken to the pope himself about this, and he said he believes that 50 percent of marriages are not valid.[emphasis added]
And what about old annulments?
Himself had to have his first marriage putative marriage examined before we were wed, and he obtained a decree of nullity.

How can we know the annulment is valid?

The guys presiding over those are cut from the same cloth as the guys who have been presiding over the sacrament of matrimony aren't they?
So what's to say they didn't do the same sort of half-assed all-are-welcoming and pastoral job on them both?
In all seriousness, I have wondered, does a marriage which was sacramentally invalid because of lack of intention  in the ministers "become" valid when, growing in holiness and wisdom and knowledge those two ministers change their intentions?

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