"A Welcoming Community of Faith Rooted in
the Catholic Tradition"
Canon
Eleven
Code of Canon Law
of the
Evangelical Catholic Church
Canon 11
Dissolution of the Marital Bond and Subsequent Marriage
11.1 Recognizing the reality that some marital bonds may dissolve and cannot be reconciled, the Church does not believe that the Sacramental Grace can remain present in a marital relationship in which there is emotional or physical violence, permanent abandonment, or the proven inability to maintain marital fidelity. The Grace of the Sacrament is not present in such relationships of pain and misery. Thus, the Church must allow persons the freedom to leave such relationships and to permit such persons the opportunity to invite Christ into a spirit-filled Marriage.11.2 One may petition the Church to declare a Marriage non-binding and nullified for the following conditions:
§1 Physical violence.
§2 Psychological violence.
§3 Permanent abandonment.
§4 Proven inability to maintain marital fidelity.
§5 Realization of true sexual orientation incompatible with the form of the Marriage.
11.3 One who wishes to enter into a subsequent Marriage must present documented evidence of such conditions from their previous Marriage to their pastor prior to attempting such a Marriage.
11.4 Upon obtaining all necessary information, evidence, and documentation related to a petition, the pastor will investigate and ascertain the weight of the evidence and submit a recommendation to the local ordinary that a Grant of Dissolution be issued
§1 A Grant of Dissolution cannot be issued prior to the finalization of a civil decree of divorce.
§2 The local ordinary must respond to petitions for a Grant of Dissolution within one calendar month of receipt.
§3 The local ordinary alone possesses faculties to issue a Grant of Dissolution.
11.5 Petitioners for a Grant of Dissolution, who have had two or more previous Marriages, must make their petition directly to the local ordinary.
11.6 Petitioners who submit false or misleading information, or who omit relevant information on their applications will have their petitions for a Grant of Dissolution summarily dismissed.
11.7 Candidates for a subsequent Marriage must be provided with extended pastoral counseling prior to entering into the Sacrament.
11.8 A dispensation from the provisions of Canon 10.2 can be given by the local ordinary only for a grave reason.
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