What is the Tribunal Process in the Catholic Church?
The tribunal process is the Church’s formal judicial procedure for investigating whether a valid sacramental marriage existed. It is not a courtroom drama or an adversarial trial. It is a careful, prayerful search for the truth about what was present – or absent – on the day the vows were exchanged. The tribunal exists to protect both the sanctity of marriage and the rights of the people involved, and it does its work with more compassion than most people expect. ...