The Catholic Church has the perfect understanding of the concept of the decree of nullity of any invalid union. As we noted from the previous discussions, a validly consecrated bread and wine is a permanent alteration just as marriage is permanent. Therefore, it is not what takes place after the consecration that invalidates the consecration. For example, if a partaker received the Holy Host unworthily or desecrated the host, that does not invalidate the consecrated Host, but brings a serious moral problem between that person and God if the action is not properly repented before the person’s death. Only issues before the consecration can invalidate the consecration. That is the main issue for the Catholic Church on handling the annulment. Likewise, a validly consecrated bread remains permanently consecrated, just as what the Catholic Church teaches about the validity of marriage as a permanent bond released only by natural death.
The issue of invalidating the consecration relies on the knowledge of the priest about what may have taken place before the consecration. In other words, in declaring a relationship an invalid union, the Catholic Church relies on the available information obtained from the people involved in the relationship. Likewise, if the people involved provided tainted information contrary to the truth to obtain a decree of nullity, that decree is a nullity of a false information which makes it void when presented with truthful information. In other words, what the decree of nullity declared null is different than what it is; therefore, the decree is invalid.
Another important point is that the couple in the relationship administer the covenant of the marriage to one another since they are the only ones who truthfully know about whether they ever entered into a valid covenant. The question the couple asked before the marriage on whether they have been married before may have been misleading if it had not been properly understood. A couple wanting to enter into marriage assumes that a marriage requires a written license from a certain authority to be considered a legal marriage. Since the couple is administering the covenant of matrimony in the relationship, logically the license should be issued by the couple themselves to one another. However, in our world, papers, signatures, and licenses are needed to do just about anything. A couple may believe that not having such a paper for any of their previous relationships would make them eligible to enter into a new permanent covenant as long as they obtain a license from a third party. One can easily see how this confusion that is brought about by Satan and his comrades is one of the best achievements Satan has made in his relentless attack against the Creator’s permanent Design. Satan declared a permanent war on the Creator’s design of the one body consecration since Adam and Eve. Satan has not slowed down any; rather Satan has become much more brilliant and deceitful in his race against God’s final judgment. Therefore, confusing the couple into thinking that having no third party license means they remain pure and virgin is one of the great winning milestone for satan. The second winning milestone is the illusion that having a third party license for a relationship makes the relationship valid regardless of the facts prior to the formation of the relationship. The third winning milestone is that people become confused and may never confess or try to amend their choices in life especially before approaching the Consecrated Holy Body and Blood of Christ. In these deceptions, satan is the main winner.
Another issue with the annulment is that it only annuls the specific relationship the party requested the help of the Church’s authority in investigating. However, the Church does not attempt to declare null any non-licensed relationship and nor do people request that. But the question remains that since the couple administers the covenant of matrimony to one another, every relationship should be examined at least by the people involved. In the analogy of the covenant of the Eucharist, a valid consecration does not require a written license for validation; the consecration takes place during the Mass celebration. Similarly, the validity of the union is the consummation that takes place during the relationship itself. If the same consecrated Bread is used in multiple other consecrations as if it was fresh and never consecrated, then every prior consecration must be examined to determine whether the bread is Consecrated Christ or remains mere bread that can be used in a new consecration.
The clue I find in the relationship is the virginity membrane that is broken once. This should be a clue that piercing the relationship can change a person permanently and not necessary only superficially, but most likely genetically. It should also give the man a clue whether he had pierced a virgin or not. Notice that a surgically repaired membrane is not the answer to a truthful relationship and a truthful covenant. Therefore, truly the person himself/ or herself entering into a relationship is the only one who can know their situation for certain.
I discussed with a priest the issue of possibly using an already consecrated Bread to be consecrated with virgin wine. The faithful priest answered me that his fear is to mix-up the consecrated Bread with a nonconsecrated bread and distribute it to the participants, thus distributing a mere bread and not Christ’s True Flesh and Blood. This made me think of the gravity of the problem that some licensed marriages may actually be an invalid covenant the couple exchanged; for example, one partner may secretly conceal a valid covenant relationship he/or she entered with or without a third party license. Whether you discuss the issue logically, use Sacred Scripture, understand marriage as a resemblance to the new Covenant Christ instituted, or as a Genetic Code, each of those lines of argument provide a clue that the relationship is a physical exchange between the man and woman. The relationship must be consummated to give it legitimacy. The relationship transforms the couple involved into one permanent physical body. The legitimacy of the consummated relationship does not depend on a third party license, but it is validated when neither the man nor the woman entering the relationship had a prior valid consummated relationship.
I believe that the Catholic Church teachings related to the covenant of marriage, the primacy of Peter and the successive Popes, the permanent union of the Catholic Church with Christ regardless of any mistakes its members may commit, the process of annulment of a marriage related to the state of the couple entered into the union at the onset, and the strong link in the belief of the Virgin Mary in relationship to Christ and our Salvation, rejection of women into the priesthood and other Sacraments and teachings by the Catholic Church, are only fulfilled to perfection in the Catholic Church alone, among all other denominations and beliefs that exist on earth. This is not an arrogant testimony, although it may appear that way. However, there must be one logical truth that exists and if that truth is declared, it forces the declaration that all other beliefs are lacking; and therefore, other conclusions are an incomplete truth. If declaring a logical truth is arrogant, then I have no other choice but declare the logical truth and hope to be understood in a humble way. In fact, insisting that erroneous illogical conclusions and opinions are truth when they contradict logic and other evidence is the true arrogance. Although sometimes it may be ignorance instead of arrogance. Ignorance of the logical truth, whether it is backed by legal power or not, is never truth. For example, abortion as a legal declaration that the fetus is not a human being, is a total ignorance of the logical truth and an arrogance in that gross untruth.
Therefore, it would be arrogant and illogical to insist on a love relationship that is not in line with the Catholic faith or to threaten to leave the Church unless it widens the narrow path to include your own desires or opinion. Christ and the Virgin Mary offer themselves in an intimate and faithful everlasting relationship with each person. There should not be anything or any relationship that is worth losing our intimacy with Christ and His mother who are essential for everyone and especially more so for those with any earthly relationship. Christ and His Holy Mother desire you to have a relationship on earth if you so desire, but they want you to have the holy relationship that you deserve. Christ knows your heart and the heart of the person in your relationship and knows future events; therefore, first there must be no idol above our Heavenly Father. We should be glad that Christ left us the authority of the Church to help us remain on the narrow path. Christ entrusted the Church with the Keys and whatever binds or loosens on earth will be likewise in Heaven. If the Church gave a person an annulment of a previous marriage(s) or relationships, then I believe that the Church has that authority and wisdom entrusted by Christ to make such decisions. Therefore, consult a priest about your life and make the prescribed amends to keep your feet on the narrow path.