A declaration of nullity, commonly called an annulment, declares that the marriage didn’t actually take place sacramentally because certain criteria wasn’t met. Are there any other sacraments that could be invalid or didn’t take place because certain criteria weren’t met? Is there a process for “annulling” them or whatever the equivalent would be? What if a person was confirmed as eighth grader but wasn’t open to it and was “forced into it,” or some other criteria wasn’t met? Can that sacrament be declared not valid for that person? What about baptism as we are seeing more people attempt “un-baptism.” Is that even possible? If the Church can declare one sacrament (marriage) didn’t actually take place because of a certain condition(s), then why couldn’t there be an undoing or declaration of nullity of another sacrament? Note, I am not asking for myself, but seeing young people want to “undo” their sacraments, we need to be armed with defending the Church’s position. Thank you!

– Doug in Taylorville

You ask a great question, Doug, because the process to receive a declaration of nullity (commonly called an annulment) is not well understood and can be a difficult experience for those who are involved. In brief, a declaration of nullity is a declaration by the Catholic Church that two individuals who attempted to get married in the past are not bound by the bond of marriage, because there was an essential element of marriage missing from the very beginning. 

There are three categories of reasons that a marriage can be declared invalid. The first is the simplest: a lack of canonical form. Catholics are required by canon law to get married in the presence of the local pastor or his delegate. This means that if a Catholic gets “married” in front of a judge, the wedding is invalid and there is no other investigation needed. Note that this onlyapplies to Catholics. 

Second, a marriage could be invalid due to an impediment in law. For example, if a man got married when he was 15, this marriage would be invalid due to the impediment of age, because the minimum age for a Catholic man to marry is 16. 

The third and more complicated reason a marriage could be invalid is because of a defect of consent. The matter of the sacrament of matrimony is the consent to get married. This “matter” is invisible but is manifested by the vows at the wedding ceremony. This invisible consent is investigated when the Church is processing a request for a declaration of nullity. It is sometimes proven that a party simply lied when making his or her vows: this is called simulation. Sometimes a party was deceived about a serious quality of the other person. Some people are very immature or burdened by realities such as alcoholism, mental illness, or addiction to the point that they are not psychologically capable of entering the married life. Canon lawyers routinely consult psychological experts for assistance in understanding how a person’s psychological makeup impacted his or her ability to get married. No one enters marriage with a perfect psychological slate of health, but for most people, these challenges do not invalidate marriage. Among the seven sacraments, marriage is unique in many ways, especially when considering its matter. 

The sacrament of penance is similar to marriage in this regard because the matter of confession is invisible — contrition for sin. It is also important to remember that not every marriage is a sacrament, and many of the marriages that the Church investigates are not sacramental. A marriage is only a sacrament when both parties in the marriage are baptized. Most marriages in the world are not sacramental. 

In the “anatomy” of a sacrament, each sacrament must have an authorized minister, a qualified recipient, matter, and form. If any one of these four aspects is lacking, the sacrament is invalid. Let us consider baptism as an example. Any person can be a minister of baptism, as long as he or she intends to do what the Church does. Any person who is unbaptized is qualified to receive baptism. The matter for baptism is the washing with water, and the form is the words “N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Each sacrament has a different role in the economy of grace, but each can be understood with these four aspects. 

It is rare for the Church to make a public declaration that a sacrament is invalid. Because marriage and holy orders are the two sacraments that form the social fabric of the Church, we need to know when they are invalid because they affect the whole community. It is extraordinarily rare for holy orders to be declared invalid, but it did happen a few years ago in the United States. A priest watched a video of his own baptism and realized that the minister had used the wrong words (form). This made his baptism invalid, which meant that he was not a qualified recipient for any other sacraments going forward. He then had to be baptized and received the other sacraments, including holy orders, for the first time. 

A person’s lack of openness to the grace of a sacrament does not invalidate it. It is certainly a tragedy to not appreciate God’s gifts, but as long as the four aspects of a sacrament are present, it is valid. In the case of confirmation, the character will always be imprinted on the soul and will be a source of grace for the person when activated by faith. Similarly, it is not possible to be “unbaptized” after validly receiving baptism. Some baptized Christians do not believe that marriage is a sacrament for the baptized. So, there are many Christians in the world who are living in sacramental marriages, and do not even know it! 

If you have questions about a marital situation, I encourage you to speak with your pastor to find spiritual support and resources to answer your questions.  

• Father Dominic Vahling, J.C.L., is Vicar Judicial, Delegate for Matrimonial Concerns, and Master of Ceremonies for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.