Chancery
Ukrainian Particular Law
If you are interested the text of the Particular Law for the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is available on these links.
English Text
Ukrainian text - Украинский текст
Church Annulments: Fact and Fiction
1. Fiction: Any marriage can be annulled if you know someone
in the church or if you have enough money to convince the
church. Fact: A marriage that began good and healthy can not
be annulled by anyone, not even by the Church. The Church is
obliged to honor a sound marriage because of JesusÍ teaching
that marriage is sacred and lasts until the death of one of
the spouses. An annulment is a declaration by church
authorities that a marriage was defective from the
beginning.
2. Fiction: If I have an earlier marriage annulled, my
children will become illegitimate. Fact: Children who were
born in a legal marriage will always be considered
ñlegitimateî.
3. Fiction: Annulments take many years to complete. Fact:
The present processing time with the Tribunal is about 18
months.
4. Fiction: A formal annulment in the Church costs the
couple many thousands of dollars. Fact: The present fee to
process a formal annulment is $600. If the case requires a
consultant with a psychiatrist, that consultation costs the
couple about $175, per hour, which they pay to the
psychiatrist. The annulment has been at that level for about
thirty years. If the individual has trouble paying this fee,
they can either pay over time or ask their parish for help.
No person should be denied an annulment because they cannot
afford it! The diocese or the church makes no ñprofitî from
processing annulments. The $600 fee permits the Tribunal to
ñbreak evenî and not have to assess parishes for this
service.
We hope that this brief article will help to dispel the
myths or fiction that discourage people from seeking the
healing and graces that can come to a person or a family
when a defective marriage is officially annulled and their
new marriage is blessed by the Church!
