Why The Annulment Questionnaire Is Important (Video)
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Putting a 1,000 piece puzzle together isn't easy. You know that when you're finished, all the hard work will be worth it, but fitting and matching the pieces can be quite challenging. It takes special attention to detail and a lot of time. Sometimes it makes you want to just throw your hands up and say "Forget it!" Lots of people give up but those who don't end up with a real accomplishment.
My last video blog post was about the annulment process and how someone who is going through it can turn it into something more fruitful, something that benefits him more than what one would expect. This week, I'd like to focus on the annulment questionnaire and why it is important.
After you fill out the preliminary paperwork to file a formal case (for marriages between two baptized persons) the tribunal will send you an indepth questionnaire. It can have anywhere from 70 to 100 or more questions on it, all asking for personal information about you and your ex-spouse.
This can be very intimidating at first. Personally, when I received mine years ago, I flipped through and read some of the questions, and then I dropped it into my desk drawer and didn't look at it for two weeks. This might make you feel like your privacy is being invaded. Why does the Church make you do this? Why do they need to know?
Well, here's a simple way to look at this: When you file for an annulment, you are inviting the Church to look at the relationship you had with your ex-spouse. You are asking the tribunal to make a decision: Did you have a valid or sacramental marriage bond with your spouse or not?
This is a huge decision and the tribunal needs all the information they can get so they can put the pieces of the puzzle together and create the big picture. The individual questions may be difficult to answer, but the more information you provide, the more you help the tribunal make the most informed decision possible. And since their final response will affect the rest of your life, these questions are that important.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Choose a private environment to write in. Because I knew I would be revisiting unpleasant memories and I might get upset, I blocked off time to write and did this in a place where I could be alone and have no interruptions.
2. Take your time. If you need several weeks to several months to complete the questionnaire, that's fine. The key is to be consistent. You can even try something like answering one question per day until it is complete or maybe something else works for you. Just make sure you are consistently making progress.
3. Give as much detail as possible. You can't really give too much information, but you can give too little. Many annulment cases are suspended and then declined because there simply is not enough information to make an informed decision.
I hope you've found this information helpful and don't forget, you can always contact me at asklisa@catholicmatch.com or visit me at LisaDuffy.Com. if you have further questions. It's also a good thing to ask your friends and family to support you in prayer, so count on my prayers for you and please, pray for me, too.
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