Catholic Church

====Divorce and declarations of nullity====
{{Main|Declaration of nullity}}
{{further|Divorce law by country}}
Canon law makes no provision for divorce between baptized individuals, as a valid, consummated sacramental marriage is considered to be a lifelong bond.<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|1640}}</ref> However, a declaration of nullity may be granted when the proof is produced that essential conditions for contracting a valid marriage were absent from the beginning—in other words, that the marriage was not valid due to some impediment. A declaration of nullity, commonly called an annulment, is a judgement on the part of an [[ecclesiastical tribunal]] determining that a marriage was invalidly attempted.<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|1625–1632}}</ref> In addition, marriages among unbaptized individuals may be dissolved with papal permission under certain situations, such as a desire to marry a Catholic, under [[Pauline privilege|Pauline]] or [[Petrine privilege]].<ref name="Gantley">Rev. Mark J. Gantley. [http://www.ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=410268 "Petrine or Pauline Privilege"]. EWTN Global Catholic Network. 3 September 2004. Accessed 15 November 2014.</ref><ref name="Doors">"[http://www.catholicdoors.com/misc/marriage/canonlaw.htm Canon 1141–1143]". 1983 Code of Canon Law. Catholicdoors.com.</ref> An attempt at remarriage following divorce without a declaration of nullity places "the remarried spouse ... in a situation of public and permanent adultery". An innocent spouse who lives in continence following divorce, or couples who live in continence following a civil divorce for a grave cause, do not sin.<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|2384–2386}}</ref>

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Worldwide, diocesan tribunals completed over 49000 cases for nullity of marriage in 2006. Over the past 30 years about 55 to 70% of annulments have occurred in the United States. The growth in annulments has been substantial; in the United States, 27,000 marriages were annulled in 2006, compared to 338 in 1968.<!--end--> However, approximately 200,000 married Catholics in the United States divorce each year; 10&nbsp;million total {{As of|2006|lc=y}}.<ref name="Soule">{{cite web |last=Soule |first=W. Becket |title=Preserving the Sanctity of Marriage |url=http://www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/cis/cis301.pdf |work=2009 |publisher=Knights of Columbus |access-date=6 January 2014}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|With regard to divorce in the United States, according to the Barna Group, among all who have been married, 33% have been divorced at least once; among American Catholics, 28% (the study did not track religious annulments).<ref>{{cite web |title=New Marriage and Divorce Statistics Released |date=2008 |url=https://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/15-familykids/42-new-marriage-and-divorce-statistics-released |publisher=Barna Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219120231/http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/15-familykids/42-new-marriage-and-divorce-statistics-released |archive-date=19 December 2014}}</ref>|}} Divorce is increasing in some predominantly Catholic countries in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Divorces rising in Catholic Europe |url=http://religiousconsultation.org/News_Tracker/divorces_rising_in_Catholic_Europe.htm |work=Los Angeles Times |date=24 May 2006}}</ref> In some predominantly Catholic countries, it is only in recent years that divorce was introduced (Italy (1970), [[Portugal]] (1975), Brazil (1977), Spain (1981), Ireland (1996), Chile (2004) and [[Malta]] (2011)), while the [[Philippines]] and the Vatican City have no procedure for divorce (The [[Philippines]] does, however, allow divorce for Muslims.).