banner - 2021-03-09T092831.825.jpg

What Is an Intention Against the Sacramentality of Marriage?

The Catholic annulment process can be difficult to understand, as there are many grounds on which a marriage can be declared null, and lots of documents and paperwork needed to prove it. If you’re unfamiliar with the Catholic annulment process, but are looking into having your marriage annulled, it’s important to understand the intricacies and grounds for the annulment process, so you can ensure you’ve got sufficient information when your process begins. This week’s Catholic Annulment - Another Chance blog post discusses an important factor: the sacramentality of marriage and how it affects the Catholic annulment process.

Catholic Annulment - Another Chance is here to help you prepare your Catholic annulment case to ensure it runs smoothly and that you achieve your desired outcome. Our church judges have the experience necessary to help you get through the process by ensuring you have proper documentation, evidence, witnesses, and everything in between. Read this week’s blog post to learn more about an intention against the sacramentality of marriage and reach out to Catholic Annulment - Another Chance to begin your annulment process today!

What Is Sacramentality?

In the Catholic church, sacramentality is a very important concept. As Catholics, we see the full embodiment of God in Jesus Christ. Since God became human, he can be seen, touched, and heard in the context of human living. This is the principle of sacramentality and it is the second defining trait of Catholics.

In the context of marriage, sacramentality is when two people will to bring about the sacred bond of getting married, whether that be in a Christian marriage, or a good and natural marriage.

A “natural marriage” is when a man and a woman enter into a marital relationship that contains all the natural elements that God has put into what marriage is. So, even if these two people are not baptized Christians, they are still truly husband and wife.

A “sacramental marriage”, however, is when two baptized Christians have a valid, natural marriage. Because they are baptized, their marriage is also a sacrament of the Church.

An Intention Against the Sacramentality of Marriage

When two people marry, the legal presumption on their wedding day is that both people will what they say. Based on this notion, it can be assumed that each person truly means the vows he or she publicly exchanges.

However, it is possible that one of the people may exclude an essential element or property of marriage on the day of the wedding, which makes that person’s consent defective, and the marriage becomes invalid.

Who Does This Apply To?

When it comes to the sacramentality of marriage, this sentiment applies only to Christian marriages, as they are sacramental. It is not concerned with good and natural marriages, because those are non-sacramental. In the Latin church, the ministers of a sacramental marriage are a baptized bride and groom.

In terms of Catholic annulment, this particular ground admits to one of two possibilities. The first is that a baptized Catholic has fallen away from the faith. If this person develops animosity toward the church, he or she may consider the church’s teachings on sacraments to be superstition, and therefore may reject the idea that marriage is a sacrament. It is common in this situation for this type of person to have a church wedding only to please others, such as their parents or spouse, but in no way believe in the sacramentality of marriage.

The second instance involves a baptized Protestant or person of another religion who marries in accord with the teachings of their church. These teachings may reject the notion of marriage as a sacrament within the Catholic faith.

In both of these cases, the teachings of the Catholic Church is clear — when two baptized people marry, they must intend to do what the church does, and they must intend to bring about a sacramental union. If they do not, then the marriage can be declared null and void by the process of a Catholic annulment.

Get Help With the Catholic Annulment Process

Working your way through the Catholic annulment process can be a challenge. You have to determine the grounds on which your marriage is null and void, you have to provide proper documentation, find a suitable witness, write an initial testimony, and more.

Our team at Catholic Annulment - Another Chance understands that there are a lot of important pieces that go into ensuring that each annulment process is a success. That’s why we’re here to help! Our current and former staff judges have decades of experience in the Catholic annulment process. Each of our annulment experts are members of the Canon Law Society of America and hold advanced degrees in church law.

We are excited to help you through the Catholic annulment process. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, reach out to Catholic Annulment - Another Chance today!