Shattered Faith

Ms. Kennedy's book is a detailed and accurate account of the sham of marriage "nullification" within the Roman Catholic Church. Her experience has been like thousands of Catholics who have been victims of institutional chicanary. The act of calling marriages "invalid", especially when they have produced children,is reprehensible. After reading this book, I am convinced that annulment is nothing more than a modern day form of selling indulgences. The Church charges hefty sums in money and emotional toll to give its blessing to remarriages.

The unofficial but de facto division within the Church is displayed abundantly in Kennedy's book. The American Catholic Church annulment machine grinds forward, shredding into bits those who are faithful to the Roman Catholic Church. What disturbs me is the claim that their primary concern is to bring those who are separated from the Church back to the Sacraments. Isn't marriage a Sacrament? Accepting lies about the validity or sacramentality of long-term marriages just so someone can remain in the Church is simply saying that good can come of evil. Not one single case cited by Kennedy was about cruelly mistreated spouses - they were all simply about one spouse in the marriage wanting to call it quits, while expecting to continue having a 'sacramental marriage'. While women are primarily the victims described by Kennedy, there have been numerous men who have faced the same perversion inflicted on the faithful. Yes, as Kennedy points out, and as the Church agrees, there are sometimes good reasons to declare a marriage invalid, but these are rare occurrences. Depression? Personality disorder? What about 'in sickness and health'? Shall the marriage vows be changed to say 'until imperfections are apparent' instead 'until death'? Let's face it - the promoters of easy annulments have lost their faith, or have altered it to accommodate the 'modern' trend du jour. The Church should stop putting money into the annulment machine and begin to offer counseling services that make sense. The scandal caused by this situation is blaringly obvious. Those who blame 'the Church' have no understanding of the depth of damage the American Catholic Church has done to the Church all over the world. Those who have torn a sacramental marriage assunder with no faith-based (i. e., good) reasons have a great deal to answer for. Kennedy tries gallantly to be fair in ascribing faults to the Church versus to members of the Church, though this difference is not always made clear enough. The Catholic faith (and Christ's mandate on marriage) remains what it is, despite the attempts by pseudo-Catholics to change it. In any case, the book is well-written, informative, and courageous. It reminds me of the statement that 'it is easier for a rich man to pass through the eye of a needle than to get into heaven.' I think I see why that may be true. Shame on American Catholic Church tribunals. Shame, and shame again.

I have almost finished this book, and it is enlightening. I knew that the whole annulment process was a big joke -- when my ex and I divorced, arelative who was a priest actually asked if I wanted an annulment and assured me there would be no problem. I had no idea how pervasive or American a problem this was -- the American Catholic church must be the laughingstock of the remainder of the Catholic world!

I am not a Catholic; and knew little about annulment until reading this book; but I admire Sheila Rauch Kennedy for her courage in taking on this powerful clan for something she believes in. Joe Kennedy ought to be ashamed of himself. Or perhaps he is and that is why he resigned from politics.

The author has constructed a very careful and studied examination of Catholic Church policy and practices in their annullments of sanctified marriage vows -- granted to the tune of over 70,000 a year in our country. And, amazing to this reader, given her experience in the labyrinth of canon law, Tribunals, advocates who don't advocate, etc., she writes without rancor. That Ms. Kennedy chose to investigate so well the tortuous subject matter on behalf of her children's best interests is very clear throughout. This is not at all a "I was married to a Kennedy, and now I'll profit from the dirt" sort of work whatsoever. She will, refreshingly, disappoint Kennedy bashers, lovers, and voyeurs. Readers who enjoy a variety of topics -- entertaing or weighty, will not be frustrated with this book. Ms. Kennedy writes very well, shows a good wit, and does a fine job of weaving both her own and other's experiences with the annullment process into this work. We are not at all bombarded with vile judgements or diatribes against the Church; rather, the reader is given respect by the author to undertake that task freely themselves, should they choose. Once you have read this book, you will likely have some of your darkest fears or feelings of what really goes on within the heavy oak doors of Church administration confirmed. The self-serving, short-sighted, anti-female, and moral bunkruptcy of the Catholic Church is patently obvious in their annullment business in this country. Whew! My own diatribe! Blind followers of the one true faith would be well advised to avoid this read!