Divorce and Annulment

These pages were written by one hand and many hearts ... by separated spouses faithful to the sacrament because they are convinced this total gift of self is not an anachronism imposed by the Church to be accepted with patient resignation, but a path of sanctification lived out in the joyous paradox of the Gospel. This book, besides offering numerous points for reflection on the theme of separation, proposes a true and proper path subdivided into stages for groups of people who, living with the suffering of a spouse's separation, wish to remain faithful to the sacrament of their marriage. Among the many suggested prayers and meditations, one in particular, the renewal of the "I Do", has captured the attention of many churches both at home and abroad. The "Marriage Vows Renewal," included in the last stage, is publicized by the Pontifical Council of the Family. An imprimatur has been given to the book by Biishop Richard G. Lennon. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a recommendation for the book on their Marriage Resource Center: "The greatest strength of Campanella's book is her articulation of the vocation of the separated person to live out his or her marriage vows as a particular witness of God's eternal love for fallen humanity, and the practical path she offers to the realization of this call. Although she does not include personal details of her own situation, it is apparent that Campanella has walked this path herself. This imbues a sense of hope and inspiration to the reader."

You CAN understand annulment. You just need a little help! You never wanted this to happen, but now you're civilly divorced. There's no such thing as Catholic divorce because in God's eyes a valid marriage can never be broken. But sometimes what looks like a marriage from the outside can be fatally flawed from the beginning. Only God can see deeply into the human heart. He knows how human frailty and weakness, and inabilities of some people to enter into marriage freely and fully despite their best attempts. After careful study of such an attempted union, the Church may be able to declare that no valid marriage bond was created. And this book will help you understand the process. Regardless of your situation, the Church is here to help and you don t have to be a priest or canon lawyer to understand the basics. This little book with big help dispels the common myths and misunderstandings about marriage, divorce, and annulments, and is helpful for: - Divorced men and women who are considering if they have grounds for an annulment - Those who need help completing their formal petition for a Decree of Nullity (annulment) - Lay or religious ministers who work with the separated and divorced - Parish priests and deacons involved in divorce ministry - Those who counsel divorced Catholics - Anyone who wants to know more about what the Church really teaches about divorce "I was afraid of the annulment process at first, but found it incredibly healing and even freeing. I learned so much about myself and was able to forgive my ex-spouse and ask for forgiveness as well." - Patty "I had no idea of what the Church really taught about marriage and divorce. I thought I did, but I was blown away when I learned the truth. Going through the annulment process actually made me hunger to know more of my Catholic faith." - Jim

Seventy now-adult children of divorce give their candid and often heart-wrenching answers to eight questions (arranged in eight chapters, by question), including: What were the main effects of your parents' divorce on your life? What do you say to those who claim that "children are resilient" and "children are happy when their parents are happy"? What would you like to tell your parents then and now? What do you want adults in our culture to know about divorce? What role has your faith played in your healing? Their simple and poignant responses are difficult to read and yet not without hope. Most of the contributors--women and men, young and old, single and married--have never spoken of the pain and consequences of their parents' divorce until now. They have often never been asked, and they believe that no one really wants to know. Despite vastly different circumstances and details, the similarities in their testimonies are striking; as the reader will discover, the death of a child's family impacts the human heart in universal ways.