“Annulment” is the word used to refer to a Catholic “declaration of nullity,” when a Church tribunal (a Catholic Church court) declares that a marriage thought to be valid according to Church law actually fell short of at least one of the essential elements required for a binding union.

The Catholic Church presumes that marriages are valid and lifelong; therefore, unless the ex-spouse has died, the Church requires the divorced Catholic to obtain a declaration of nullity before re-marrying. The tribunal process seeks to determine if something essential was missing from the couple’s relationship from the the time of the wedding. If so, then the Church can declare that a valid sacramental marriage was never actually brought about on the wedding day. Learn more at www.foryourmarriage.org/catholic-marriage/church-teachings/annulments/

The Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles processes the annulment requests that are submitted through St. Monica. Learn more at www.la-archdiocese.org/org/tribunal/Pages/default.aspx

How to start the process

Several steps are involved when asking for a declaration of nullity (or annulment) and can take anywhere from twelve months to two years. To start the process, contact the Parish Office at (310) 566-1500 to set up an appointment.