Tribunal/Annulments

Welcome

“[T]he invitation we give to celebrate Peace resounds as an invitation to practice Justice: "Justice will bring about Peace" (Cf: Is 32:17). We repeat this today in a more incisive and dynamic formula: ‘If you want Peace, work for Justice.’"
– Pope St. Paul VI, V World Day of Peace, 1972

“To conceive of human relations of justice, among other things, without rules, without judicial organs, without any scientific juridical discussion, is pure utopia. This is the case also in the Church, which historically has always met and will undoubtedly in the future continue to meet these requirements deriving from its human dimension in history.”
– Carlos Errázuriz, Justice in the Church, page 255

Greetings from the Toledo Diocesan Tribunal!

With the bishop of our diocese, we work as ministers of justice on behalf of the People of God, especially serving the Christian faithful in the Diocese of Toledo. Like any human group that aims to flourish, the Church must ensure that fair and just relationships exist between her members. To this end, the Toledo Diocesan Tribunal applies the law of the Church, called Canon Law, at the request of those who approach us in order to protect their rights, to declare penalties, and to establish juridic facts.

This final purpose brings most people to the tribunal: to establish whether their marriage was invalid and to determine their free status to marry in the Catholic Church. This investigation of a marriage is commonly called the Annulment Process. The process is not adversarial or meant to point blame at either spouse, but merely to discover if a valid marriage could not be formed based upon a specific reason called a Ground of Nullity. We hope that your journey with us will be a time of healing and restoration, bringing resolution to what may have been a difficult stage in your life.

Like any process that works for justice, the terms used in canon law are technical, although based on common sense. For this reason, we recommend that you consult your local parish priest or deacon or that you contact one of our trained case sponsors, found on the Case Sponsors tab of this webpage. Of course, you are welcome to learn more about the marriage nullity process by reading from the Guidance Documents tab and consulting the Forms that we use.

Please contact us to answer your questions or to help you begin this process by calling 419-244-6711 and asking for the tribunal. We pray for justice, peace, and healing in your life.

Rev. Eric J. Culler, J.C.L.

Judicial Vicar

What The Catholic Church Thinks About Marriage

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Tribunal Contact

tribunal@toledodiocese.org

(419) 214-4956