Church weddings are common in Belgium.
Remarrying in church after divorce, on the other hand, is not so straightforward. Whereas civil divorce has become increasingly easy over the years, divorce under Canon law remains extremely difficult and is rare. For most people, getting divorced in accordance with civil law is more relevant, as it effects their everyday life; those who go to the Church’s court after their civil divorce do so mainly for religious reasons- for example, if they want to marry a new partner in church. To do this, they must show proof that their earlier church marriage was annulled. Since 1994 more than 200 procedures are initiated every year in Belgium. This may explain why canon law is still taught in some university faculties.
Each bishop has a court authorised to annul marriages. This can be a complicated procedure. First, a formal request is made to the court, which comprises of judges nominated by the bishop. Appeal is possible when one of the parties is not satisfied by the ruling. Canon law (which is different from normal civil law) is applicable. In a recent case in the Netherlands (which has a comparable procedure), a man applied for the annulment of this marriage on the basis that his wife (from whom he had already divorced before in a civil court) was not psychologically able to deal with married life. The Church’s court appointed a psychiatrist as expert, whose analysis of the woman concluded as follows: “Mrs S could not bear essential obligations flowing from marriage”. The marriage was eventually annulled on these grounds and the man was free to marry in church again.
Because of its complexity, you are strongly advised to consult a lawyer specialising in canon law before launching such a procedure.