| Introduction |
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1 | (10) |
| Part I: The Right to Marry |
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11 | (3) |
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Who has the right to marry? |
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14 | (1) |
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What prevents a person from marrying in the Church? |
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14 | (2) |
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Is a divorced person free to marry in the Church regardless of a prior marriage? |
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16 | (1) |
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What is meant by the impediment of impotence? |
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16 | (2) |
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If a man and woman are related to one another, can they marry? |
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18 | (1) |
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How old do you have to be to marry validly? |
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19 | (1) |
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Can a Roman Catholic marry a person of another faith who is not baptized? |
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20 | (1) |
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What happens if a priest, religious sister or brother marries; is it valid? |
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21 | (2) |
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What crimes before marriage prevent a person from marrying in the Church? |
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23 | (2) |
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What is civil annulment; civil divorce? |
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25 | (1) |
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If the State permits divorce, why won't the Church? |
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26 | (1) |
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How does the high rate of divorce in the United States affect the Church? |
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27 | (2) |
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How can the Church respond to the needs of the divorced? |
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29 | (6) |
| Part II: The Public Dimensions of Marriage |
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Is marriage solely a private matter between two individuals who love one another? |
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35 | (1) |
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What are the scriptural foundations of marriage? |
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35 | (3) |
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What are some key historical developments in the Church's teaching on marriage? |
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38 | (3) |
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What are the central theological elements of marriage in Church teaching today? |
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41 | (1) |
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What is the marital covenant? |
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42 | (1) |
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What is the sacrament of marriage? |
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43 | (2) |
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How is God's grace operative in the ``sacred bond'' of marriage? |
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45 | (1) |
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If love dies, does the sacrament cease? |
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46 | (1) |
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Is the priest the minister of Christian Marriage? |
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47 | (1) |
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How does marriage come into existence legally? |
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48 | (1) |
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What is meant by the expression, ``marriage enjoys the favor of the law''? |
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48 | (1) |
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Can a nonconsummated marriage be dissolved by the Church? |
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49 | (1) |
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Can a good and natural marriage be dissolved by the Church? |
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50 | (7) |
| Part III: The Diamond of Consent |
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57 | (2) |
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What is the legal theory behind a declaration of nullity based on defective consent? |
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59 | (1) |
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60 | (2) |
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What is lack of due reason? |
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62 | (1) |
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What is a grave lack of discretion of judgment? |
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62 | (2) |
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What does it mean to declare a marriage null on the ground of a lack of due competence? |
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64 | (2) |
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What does it mean when a marriage has been declared null on ignorance? |
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66 | (2) |
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What does it mean to be in error regarding the ``person''? |
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68 | (1) |
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What is an error regarding a ``quality'' of a persons? |
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69 | (2) |
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What if a person is deceived on the wedding day? |
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71 | (2) |
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What does it mean to be in error concerning the unity, indissolubility or sacramental dignity of marriage? |
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73 | (2) |
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What does it mean to ``simulate'' marriage? |
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75 | (2) |
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How is an intention against children manifested? |
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77 | (3) |
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What is an intention against fidelity? |
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80 | (2) |
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What is an intention against perpetuity? |
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82 | (2) |
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How is an intention against the ``good of the spouses'' manifested? |
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84 | (2) |
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What is an intention against the sacramentality of marriage? |
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86 | (3) |
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How would a condition placed on consent render a marriage invalid? |
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89 | (2) |
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What does it mean when a marriage is declared null on force and fear? |
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91 | (2) |
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What is defective convalidation? |
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93 | (6) |
| Part IV: The Church As Witness |
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What is the proper ``form of marriage''? |
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99 | (2) |
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Who is the proper official of marriage? |
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101 | (1) |
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Who is bound to the form of marriage? |
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101 | (1) |
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Are non-Catholics bound to the form of marriage? |
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102 | (1) |
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What is a ``defect of form'' case? |
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103 | (2) |
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What is a ``lack of form'' case? |
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105 | (2) |
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What happens if a couple is happily married, but it is discovered that the marriage is invalid in law? |
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107 | (6) |
| Part V: The Tribunal and Court Officials |
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What is a tribunal; what are its different levels? |
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113 | (1) |
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What is the role of the bishop over the diocesan court? |
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114 | (1) |
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Can any Church court hear any marriage case? |
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115 | (3) |
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118 | (1) |
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What is the role of the judge? |
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119 | (1) |
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What is the role of an advocate? |
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120 | (1) |
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What is the role of a procurator? |
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121 | (1) |
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What is the role of the defender of the bond of marriage? |
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122 | (2) |
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What is the role of an ``expert'' witness? |
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124 | (5) |
| Part VI: Participating in the Tribunal Investigation |
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129 | (2) |
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131 | (1) |
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What is the role of witnesses in the investigation? |
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132 | (3) |
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What are the stages of a tribunal investigation concerning marriage? |
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135 | (2) |
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What is a ``formal petition'' for nullity? |
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137 | (1) |
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What is the ``citation'' of the respondent? |
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138 | (1) |
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What is the ``Publication of the Acts''? |
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139 | (2) |
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What is the impact of the judge's sentence in the Court of First Instance? |
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141 | (2) |
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What is the ``appeal'' process? |
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143 | (2) |
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What are the types of time limits in the tribunal proceedings |
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145 | (1) |
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Are there any fees associated with the processing of a case? |
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146 | (2) |
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Why are the proceedings confidential to those outside of the case? |
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148 | (5) |
| Part VII. Personal and Family Effects of a Declaration of Nullity |
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What is a ``putative'' marriage? |
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153 | (1) |
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Is the grace of God operative in a putative marriage? |
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154 | (2) |
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Are the needs of children taken into consideration when a declaration of nullity is granted? |
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156 | (1) |
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Does the tribunal process judge the character of the parties to a case? |
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157 | (2) |
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What is a ``prohibition'' regarding any future marriage? |
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159 | (2) |
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What if it can be proven that the final decision was based on perjured testimony? |
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161 | (1) |
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How is the process emotionally healing? |
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162 | (2) |
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How is the process emotionally harmful? |
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164 | (4) |
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How is the process spiritually crippling; spiritually healing? |
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168 | (2) |
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Is the tribunal process scandalous? |
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170 | (5) |
| Part VIII: Dispelling Misconceptions |
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Are ``annulments'' simply ``Catholic divorces''? |
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175 | (1) |
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Does an ``annulment'' wipe the marriage away? |
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176 | (1) |
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May a divorced Catholic who has not remarried receive holy communion? |
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177 | (1) |
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Is marriage the only sacrament that can be declared null? |
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178 | (2) |
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Is it true that marriages of long standing, with children, can be declared null? |
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180 | (1) |
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Does the Church declare null the marriages of non-Catholics (whether Christian or unbaptized)? |
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181 | (1) |
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Is every case brought before a tribunal granted in the affirmative? |
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182 | (1) |
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Is a marriage rendered null by the Church after the decision of only one court? |
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182 | (1) |
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Do declarations of nullity take years to complete? |
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183 | (1) |
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Don't declarations of nullity cost thousands of dollars; doesn't the Church make money from them? |
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183 | (1) |
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Is it easy to receive a declaration of nullity? |
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184 | (1) |
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Do Declarations of nullity render children illegitimate? |
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185 | (1) |
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How does the Church manifest its care for children after a divorce and before a remarriage? |
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186 | (1) |
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When it comes to an affirmative decision, is it true that it only matters who you are or who you know? |
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187 | (1) |
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Does the Church care about what a person has endured in the marriage? |
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187 | (1) |
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There have been so many declarations of nullity granted in the United States recently; is justice really being served? |
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188 | (3) |
| Glossary |
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191 | (2) |
| Notes |
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193 | (10) |
| Index |
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203 | |
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