Canonical Services

Office of Canonical Services and Tribunal

Diocesan Pastoral Center 
P.O. Box 5147 
701 Lawrenceville Road 
Trenton, NJ 08638-0147
Phone: 609-406-7411
Fax: 609-406-7424 

We serve the Catholic Community with:

Marriage dispensations and permissions

• For Marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics
• For Marriages of persons currently in RCIA
• For “Special Circumstances” marriages (in connection with Department of Pastoral Care)

Marriage validations and sanations

• Assistance to persons in marriages not recognized by the Catholic Church

Additional services for the Bishop at his request: 

• Answering questions about church law related to the Sacraments
• Papal Blessings Information
• Canonical Opinions & Decrees
• Immigration Services for Priests and Seminarians
• Translation services (limited)

Other functions in relation to other dioceses:

• Eastern Regional Conference of Canonists
• Regional Chancellors meetings

Each request is as unique as the persons who entered the marriage. While no one can be guaranteed an affirmative decision in advance, a person who thinks his or her marriage was defective from the beginning should be encouraged to request the study of that marriage. Many have already received justice through this process. At times people express the fear of reopening old wounds and hurts by going through a church process of nullity or dissolution. Yet the deeper self-understanding that can come from an honest and searching study of one's broken marriage can heal these wounds and hurts much more profoundly, and provide part of the solid foundation for a lasting and successful marriage in the future.