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Hi, Debra —
Thanks for your question.
It sounds like there may be grounds
for an annulment if there was some
kind of clinical depression which could
have presented some kind of impediment.
It's a matter for a Church tribunal
to resolve.
You don't need an annulment to become
Catholic, however, you would need
one in order to get married. Your
fiancé cannot marry you unless and
until your previous marriage is annulled.
The process is not complicated and
has become quite routine. Nevertheless,
there is no guarantee that it will
be granted.
The Church starts out presuming that
the marriage between two Christians
is valid. The Tribunal will have
to find that some impediment was
present. Now, impediments can vary
but include getting married without
understanding the nature of the marriage.
You said you understand Christian
marriage, but that is not necessarily
by the Church's standard of Christian
marriage.
For instance, if you went into the
marriage believing that there was
a reason for which you could divorce
and then remarry, that could be a possible impediment.
Marriage in Catholic theology is
a covenant. A covenant is irrevocable
assuming both parties understood
that when they entered into it. A
Covenant is an exchange of persons,
not just vows, so if the vows, for
example, are broken, the covenant
remains intact because the two have
become one.
There aren't too many young people
today or in recent decades that understand
this concept.
It sounds like there were some clinical,
emotional, or maturity issues at the
time of your marriage, so on the face
of it, you have a legitimate case
to seek an annulment.
Hope this helps,
John
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