Survey Shows Porn is Dominant in Catholic Marriage Tribunal Cases

Consent makes a marriage. What happens though when that consent is lacking freedom? When the man or woman, or both, have an incapacity that affects their will to be able to say yes to the fullness of marriage?

The Catholic Church has a long-held tradition rooted in Sacred Scripture of studying marriages to see if the marriage existed to begin with. You’ve heard of an annulment? No doubt, every person has thought of it as a “Catholic divorce.” However, we have been misinformed or confused. An annulment, or more appropriately a declaration of nullity, is a judicial decision by an ecclesiastical tribunal that one or both parties did not give adequate consent or were hindered by some impediment in their attempt to contract a valid matrimonial bond. 

Tribunal Survey Results  

This past summer, Covenant Eyes distributed a survey on the topic of pornography to representatives of 138 arch/dioceses. The goal was to confirm pornography’s involvement in cases and to determine what level the Church is seeing it impact marital consent. Covenant Eyes received 44 responses to the survey, and this is what was shared:

1. How many marriage nullity cases would you estimate you’ve processed that have included the issue of pornography in the past five years? 

Among 44 arch/dioceses, it is estimated that 2,697.50 marriage nullity cases included the issue of pornography. The average number of cases was 61.31.

2. How many marriage nullity cases would you estimate you’ve processed that have included the issue of pornography in the past 10 years? 

Among 38 arch/dioceses, it is estimated that 4,165.5 marriage nullity cases included the issue of pornography. The average number of cases is 109.62.

3. Which of the following grounds were used on these cases?

Covenant Eyes received 40 responses to this question. Respondents were allowed to select more than one response.

• Survey results:
  • Grave Defect of Discretion of Judgement (c. 1095, §2) – 86.8%
  • Inability to Assume the Essential Obligations of Marriage (c. 1095, §3) – 73.6%
  • Partial Simulation Against the Good of Fidelity (c.1101, §2) – 34.0%
  • Error Concerning a Quality of Person (c. 1097 §2) – 15.1%
  • Other – 24.5%

The following responses were listed as additional grounds: 

• 5 arch/diocesan responses: Fraud or Deceit (c. 1098)
• 2 arch/diocesan responses: Error (c. 1099)
• 2 arch/diocesan responses: Partial Simulation: Intention Against the Good of the spouses (c. 1101, §2)
• 1 arch/diocesan response: Total Simulation (c. 1101, §2)
• 1 arch/diocesan response: Rarely was pornography the main focus. Often, it was one factor of many.

4. About what percentage of these cases received an affirmative due to a pornography addiction?

The average percentage of affirmative cases per the 34-participating arch/dioceses is 61%.

5. About what percentage of these cases received a negative due to a pornography addiction?

The average percentage of negative cases per the 35-participating arch/dioceses is 8%.

The average affirmative due to pornography is 7.85 times greater than negative due to pornography.

While Canon Law provides eight possible defects of matrimonial consent, the Covenant Eyes survey shows the use of pornography can affect consent according to different grounds of nullity found in canons 1095, 1101, 1097. 

If pornography addiction exists in one or both of the parties, it takes many questions, from the competent judge as well as the Expert, to see what was really going on at the time of consent, and to determine the grounds (if any) that apply to the case in question. 

Marriage is our natural vocation. However, we know that porn is leading many people astray, from a young age, in what and how to think of sex and marriage. We speak of remote preparation for marriage and how it is supposed to be carried out (see canon 1063). Unfortunately, pornography “prepares” people for marriage in all the wrong ways. This is undeniable. Consequently, such individuals’ ability to contract marriage can be harmed by porn. Their willingness to marry can be impeded by porn.

Steps Towards Healing 

And so, lives are harmed by porn. Marriages are harmed by porn. What can we do about it? 

In 2015, when the U.S. Bishops released Create in Me a Clean Heart, Covenant Eyes created Clean Heart Online. In Create in Me a Clean Heart, the U.S. Bishops do an excellent job explaining the issue and why the Church must respond. Through Clean Heart Online, we provide the “how” for creating an appropriate response across arch/dioceses to help bishops, priests, educators, and the men, women, parents, and children in your parishes and schools.   

The Bishops explained in Create in Me a Clean Heart: 

“We are mindful of the particular importance of Catholic leaders […] who can implement the Church’s vision and outreach [on pornography] and be conduits of the Lord’s mercy and truth in direct and powerful ways by their witness and service (16).” 

Related: Addressing Pornography as a Diocese or Parish 

With the Bishops, we at Covenant Eyes lean on arch/diocesan and parish leaders to build up marriages and families. 

Covenant Eyes has resources to help protect, educate, guide, and inform individuals, marriages, and families of all ages and faiths. 

One of the resources we encourage arch/dioceses and parishes to use when raising awareness and supporting marriages and families is the Covenant Eyes Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Brochure. This brochure explains how pornography use affects everyone, with a particular focus on engaged and married couples, and what can be done to protect the most intimate of relationships: marriage. This is a good resource for marriage preparation, marriage enrichment, chastity courses, and RCIA classes.