Expert: Tom Schott - 2/12/2010

Question
I understand that the Sacrament of marriage is the only Sacrament where the priest or deacon does not play an active role (but rather a passive roles, insomuchas, they serve, in an official capacity, as a witness to the sacrament for the church.

During the this sacrament the man and women become one and then as a single spiritual entity they wed God, thus inviting the Trinitarian union into the ceremony.

If this is correct, then why does the church (in this case Rome), who was passive in the marriage, require themselves to play an active role in the annulment process.  I.e., granting their approval?

Answer
Hi Joe,

I would not say that the Church plays a passive role in the sacrament of matrimony. You are correct that the people being married are the principal ministers of the sacrament, but the Church mandates conditions of the marriage, prepares the couple, performs the ceremony, and blesses the union.

The Church has a stake in the permanency of all marriages, not just Catholic ones. For many reasons: for proper, wholesome atmosphere for children to be raised; for the mutual growth and spiritual enrichment of the couple; to preserve a living sign of Christ's love in the world.  Inasmuch as the Church considers the marriage sacrament to be Christ-centered, and she has proclaimed it to be by her presiding over the ceremony and blessing the marriage, it reserves the right after the fact to determine whether the marriage was indeed sacramental--that is, centered on Christ--or not. This is what the annulment process does. It does not "grant approval" for the separation of the couple.