Since the Church upholds the indissolubility of marriage, any person wishing to enter a marriage must be free of any previous marriage(s). Should a person find himself in a situation where this status must be clarified, the first step is to contact a priest or deacon in their local parish. They will assist with the preliminaries and submit the appropriate request to the tribunal, which then works directly with the petitioner.

For information contact Sr. Rose Mary Kuklok, 707-566-3370, or rmk@sonic.net.

For more information on Catholics and divorce, we recommend you read the below books:

"The Dilemma of Divorced Catholics" by Fr. John Catoir
Fr. Catoir holds a doctorate in canon law and has written extensively on matters
of marriage and divorce. His focus is to "express compassion for those in marital
difficulty, while at the same time remaining faithful to the Church's teaching." The
book is an excellent resource for those seeking further information on Church
teachings and procedures surrounding marital annulments.
Catholic Book Publishing Corp. / Resurrection Press,
ISBN 978-1-933066-06-6
112 pages
Retail: $8.95.
It can be ordered from www.catholicbookpublishing.com

"Annulments: What You Need to Know" by Jimmy Akin
Jimmy Akin, director of apologetics for Catholic Answers, provides a concise and
understandable booklet about annulments, written in question-and-answer format.
The book explains what annulments are, how they differ from divorce, how the legal
process works, who needs to apply, and more. Published in pocket-size format, the
book can be easily carried or mailed in a standard envelope.
Catholic Answers
ISBN 1888990-80-8
27 pages
Retail: $2.95
It can be ordered from Catholic Answers