Hullo Goanet, The basic question here is why are there so many applications for annulment of marriages?
Two adults, a woman and a man, decide to marry of their own FREE WILL, fully knowing what contract they are entering into-- only then can the ceremony in Church or before the Civil Marriage Registrar be considered to be MARRIAGE. Most often the marriage is ARRANGED -- without either the bride or the bridegroom knowing much about the other -- probably he is supposedly holding down a GOOD JOB or he is from a GOOD FAMILY -- he is living abroad and the bride's family without checking back on his life at his place of work go ahead with the arrangements for the wedding. I have two stories -- both TRUE -- which illustrate the rather inadequate information available to one or other of the partners before the wedding was arranged: FIRST -- years back -- Fr Silvester Dias told us this story -- He was then a Seminarian at St Pauls Seminary, Dadar. There was a wedding on a week day at St Paul's Church between two Goans -- the man was a shippy. The girl and her family came up from Goa for the wedding as the groom had to join his ship very quickly. The Groom had to provide the bridal outfit, while the bride brought her jewellery from Goa. She was given the bridal gown and the rest of her outfit the night before the wedding. She noticed that there were sweat stains on the collar of the gown and that it was definitely not new. She dressed and arrived at St Paul's well in time and then asked the groom's family why they had given her a second hand bridal gown. They admitted that it was hired only for the day, since she was never likely to use it again. She said nothing then. At the altar when she was asked if she would take this man for her husband, she replied to the priest -- "NO -- if he cannot provide me with a proper wedding gown, how will he provide for me and the children in future?" She then walked out of the church. Fr Silvester and the seminarians were overjoyed, since all the food that had been prepared for the wedding reception which was to follow the Nuptials, was given to them and they had a good feast. SECOND -- About ten years back told to me by Monsignor Attanatius D'Cruz -- Msgr. D'Cruz was approached by a Goan family at St Stephen's Church that they needed to get their daughter married quickly to this man as he was holding down a good job in the Gulf and had to go back very soon. He interviewed the young man and found that he had hardly any knowledge about marriage and he was not even able to say our basic prayers, "Our Father", "Hail Mary", "I Confess" and "I Believe" in Konkani. He told the bride's family that since the boy did not even know his prayers, he would prefer that the girl get engaged now and wait till he next got leave to get married. But the girl's family pleaded and said they would coach him in his prayers before the wedding. A few days before the wedding the groom met Msgr D'Cruz and recited all the above prayers and when asked about getting married he said that he would get married stay for a few days in Bombay with his bride then resume work in the Gulf. She would go back to Goa and join him after he was able to get her visa. Three months later, Msgr D'Cruz, now posted at Archbishop's house as marriage councellor, was approached by the same Goan bride's family. Their request, "Please annul this marriage as the boy is living with another woman in the Gulf and is not sending the visa for his bride to join him." I am sure that many of the cases for annulment would have similar backgrounds. *I have been left wondering how annulments are given to educated couples, after they have lived together for years and produced children!!!! If the marriage is annuled, that is there never was a marriage, these children ILLEGITIMATE!!!!!!!* ** Possibly, Father Rosario Oliveira, judicial vicar of Goa and Daman, would like to comment on this aspect of annulment of marriages. Regards Aloysius D'Souza ** ** On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 4:06 AM, Goanet News <news.goa...@gmail.com> wrote: > Annulment delays try Catholics’ patience > > Published Date: May 26, 2010 > By Eremita Bosco de Souza, Goa > > Long delays in processing applications for marriage annulments are > forcing some Catholics to opt for a live-in relationship or civil > marriage, or even threaten to break away from the Church altogether, > according to a Goan church leader. > > Father Rosario Oliveira, judicial vicar of Goa and Daman, says the > archdiocesan court has seven qualified judges, which is not enough to > handle the ever increasing caseload. In both 2007 and 2008 the court > received just 50 applications, but the figure jumped to 71 in 2009 > with many more expected this year. > > Father Oliviera points out that annulments should be completed within > 12 months but many cases have dragged on for years. Church law does > not stipulate the maximum number of years a case can be allowed to > continue. > > The situation is further complicated by a rule that individual cases > cannot be transferred between one judge and another, and the court’s > senior priests face various health problems because of their age, > which makes it difficult for them to all assemble for the sittings > that are mandatory to ratify a verdict. > > Wilfred Pereira, a Dubai-based journalist, says he had to wait 14 > years for his annulment. “Had someone been in my place, he might have > even lost faith in the church and turned to some other sect,” he says. > > ID09834/1603 May 26, 2010 (240 words) > > > http://www.ucanews.com/2010/05/26/annulment-delays-up-to-14-years-frustrate-applicants >
