News / National
Catholics flock to divorce in Zimbabwe
21 Sep 2015 at 06:36hrs | Views
Scores of Catholics in the country are reportedly applying for divorce after the Vatican reformed the marriage annulment process.
The new measures come into effect on December 8 this year.
An annulment is a ruling that a particular marriage was null and void from the beginning that is something was gravely wrong at the time the wedding vows were made and it prevented a valid marriage from coming into existence.
However, those who seek to remarry will have their second marriages recognised by the church and will be allowed to participate fully in church activities.
Zimbabwe Catholics Bishop Conference general secretary Father Fradereck Chiromba there has been keen interest from members to divorce.
"In the past we would have on average less than ten per year seeking to have their marriages annulled through the marriage tribunal.
"But since the announcement by the Pope it has raised interest with people in difficult marital circumstances. The average has doubled and we will still surely go up before the end of the month".
" Some are seeking annulment because their partners have for long been in the diaspora while others have discovered that their spouses have been persisting in an extra-marital affair at the time of the wedding or at a time immediately following as well as those who divorced very quickly after being married".
The new measures come into effect on December 8 this year.
An annulment is a ruling that a particular marriage was null and void from the beginning that is something was gravely wrong at the time the wedding vows were made and it prevented a valid marriage from coming into existence.
However, those who seek to remarry will have their second marriages recognised by the church and will be allowed to participate fully in church activities.
Zimbabwe Catholics Bishop Conference general secretary Father Fradereck Chiromba there has been keen interest from members to divorce.
"In the past we would have on average less than ten per year seeking to have their marriages annulled through the marriage tribunal.
"But since the announcement by the Pope it has raised interest with people in difficult marital circumstances. The average has doubled and we will still surely go up before the end of the month".
" Some are seeking annulment because their partners have for long been in the diaspora while others have discovered that their spouses have been persisting in an extra-marital affair at the time of the wedding or at a time immediately following as well as those who divorced very quickly after being married".
Source - Sunday Mail
