1. Deacon Canon Law III Items Suggestive of Possible Defects in Consent For Formal Marriage Cases

2. Rule Out Other Possibilities  A Lack of Canonical Form  The Existence of an Impediment, for example, previous marriages  A marriage between two non-baptized persons  A marriage between one non-baptized and one baptized person

3. For the Priest/Deacon  Formal Marriage cases focus upon deficiencies of consent which are often exhibited in one’s behavior.  Take the time with the Petitioner to explore these possibilities to determine any importance for this case.

4. Very Important Idea  Formal Marriage cases require that these deficiencies have some antecedence to the time of giving and manifesting consent. Manifesting consent is the time when a person says his or her vows; giving consent for a marriage is sometime previous to manifestation.

5. As You Listen to the Petitioner  No one defect is normally causative of marital failure, but often a collection of defects can be an indicator of possible future problems.  Jot down a word or short note to yourself which might be important later on.

6. Two are Intertwined  Problems that develop in a marriage and bring it to civil divorce many times have an origin in the behavior of one or both parties prior to marriage.  How One Reacts might be just as important as how One Acts!

7. Some Suggestions  For the priest or deacon seeking to advise and help someone apply for a declaration of sacramental nullity, or annulment, some of the following might be important behaviors to explore with the Petitioner and record examples in the Application.

8. Adolescent Behavior  Truancy  Suspension or Expulsion from school  Delinquency  Family history of divorce  Type of Friends Associated with  Reaction to family problems at home  Family Religious Practice or non practice

9. Early Adult Life  Abusive drinking or repeated drunkenness  Substance Abuse and the types of substance ingested  Repeated sexual intercourse in a casual relationship  Difficulties with Law Enforcement  Erratic Work History

10. Early Adult (2)  Child Support History – Parenting for Existing Children  Pre-occupation with Money, Success, Glory  Periods of Depressive Activity  Addiction to Pornography

11. Dating History  History of Breaking Promises  Suicidal Threats, Gestures, Attempts  Perceived by Others as Shallow and Lacking Genuineness  Dependent or Helpless constantly seeking reassurance

12. Dating History (2)  Initiating of Fights or Physical Confrontation with Others  Extreme Jealousy regarding Dating Partner  Conflict or Jealousy regarding an Past Partner

13. Courtship History  Dating Others during the courtship  History of Breaking Promises  Making statements before marriage about children  Making statements before marriage about fidelity

14. Courtship (2)  Making statements before marriage about possibility of divorce  Violent or Threatening Behavior to Date or Third Parties

15. Personal Behavior  Vain and Demanding  Grandiose Sense of Self-importance  Exhibitionism – Constant attention or admiration  Responds to Criticism with cool indifference or rage

16. Personal (2)  Entitlement without any idea of reciprocity  Interpersonal Exploitive Behavior  Lack of Empathy for the Feelings of Others

17. Word Mosaic  Creating an Application or Deposition is somewhat akin to creating a mosaic. Once the behaviors of both parties are identified a picture emerges which helps to explain why a particular marriage failed.

18. Keep in Your Mind  Sometimes good marriages fail because one party makes a tragic mistake from which the marriage cannot survive. Sometimes 3rd parties ruin a good marriage for their own reasons.  Such failure are not grounds for an Annulment, but look closely before you conclude this

19. Because  If the causes or behaviors of marital failure are there from the beginning, they may have influenced the giving of consent or even the ability to sustain that marital consent.  Your Initial Exploration is Extremely Important to the Success of the Process!

20. Caveat  Do not get “lost” in the details of their “story.”  Remember to analyze details for one of the four possibilities for a canonical case.  What you are creating is an “allegation” as opposed to the verified truth of a situation.

21. An Art or Science?  Careful Listening is essential  Connecting the “dots” is a learned skill  Solving the “puzzle” of what went wrong is not always obvious  Seek advice from the Tribunal