Separate Ways
How canon law has renewed its concept of marriage
Freiburg, May 14, 2018
Photo: Sandra Meyndt
The church sees marriage as an indissoluble bond. Canon law has no provision for divorce in a secular, legal sense. Nevertheless, it has a procedure – annulment – that makes separation possible. Through this process, a union can be declared invalid and doubts cast on whether it was properly concluded. Pope Francis simplified the process required for annulment in 2015. Freiburg theologian Steffen Engler has been investigating how the personal faith of the bridal couple contributes to the validity of a marriage.
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