Question:
My husband and I have been invited to a family wedding, but my husband does not feel he can attend as the bride has been married before. Her first husband announced, after they were married that he was a homosexual, and left his wife. She had no knowledge of this prior to marriage. My husband is Catholic and, as the Church does not allow remarriage, he feels he cannot attend the wedding. The couple getting married is not Catholic, but they are practicing Christians. How would the Catholic Church see the situation? Would remarriage be allowed in such a situation? Thank you.
Answer:
The woman would certainly have grounds to petition the Catholic Church for an annulment of her first marriage. If she could prove that her husband was indeed homosexual at the time of the wedding, the marriage would be annulled. If the annulment was granted, that means she would be free to marry again according to the Catholic Church.
However, since no annulment has been granted, I understand your husband's reluctance to attend the upcoming wedding. Yet given the convictions of his faith, perhaps while the wedding is going on he could spend the wedding time praying for your friend – especially that the Lord will heal the pain she suffered during her first marriage when she discovered her husband's sexual orientation. That had to have been extremely difficult for her.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Does a Catholic who marries outside the Catholic Church – and then gets divorced – also need a church annulment?
No. However there are two stipulations: (1) The Catholic party goes through a wedding ceremony outside of the Catholic Church without permission from the Church. (2) Subsequent to the wedding ceremony the union was not blessed by the Catholic Church.
The reason for this is that Catholics are bound by church law to be married in the presence of a priest or deacon. This law is called the form of marriage. If a Catholic does not follow this law, then the Church does not recognize their wedding ceremony as valid in church law.
So if the Catholic party subsequently divorces, he or she is free to marry in the Church because the wedding was never legally binding in church law.
The Catholic party will however need to go through a simple process to prove that the two stipulations mentioned above were in place at the time of the wedding. This process is called a lack of form petition and it is completed with three documents.
In order to facilitate this process a divorced Catholic should make an appointment with someone in their parish and bring the following three documents (1) the wedding license, (2) the divorce decree, and (3) a recent copy of their Catholic baptismal certificate.
When the lack of form petition is granted – which only takes a matter of weeks –both parties to the wedding are free to marry in the Church.
The reason for this is that Catholics are bound by church law to be married in the presence of a priest or deacon. This law is called the form of marriage. If a Catholic does not follow this law, then the Church does not recognize their wedding ceremony as valid in church law.
So if the Catholic party subsequently divorces, he or she is free to marry in the Church because the wedding was never legally binding in church law.
The Catholic party will however need to go through a simple process to prove that the two stipulations mentioned above were in place at the time of the wedding. This process is called a lack of form petition and it is completed with three documents.
In order to facilitate this process a divorced Catholic should make an appointment with someone in their parish and bring the following three documents (1) the wedding license, (2) the divorce decree, and (3) a recent copy of their Catholic baptismal certificate.
When the lack of form petition is granted – which only takes a matter of weeks –both parties to the wedding are free to marry in the Church.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
What about Protestant marriages?
Question: Does the Catholic Church consider Protestant marriages legal in Catholic church law?
My husband and I are both baptized Protestants. He was previously married to a Protestant but divorced. We were married in a Protestant Church. I want to join the Catholic Church.
Does HIS previous non-catholic marriage keep me from converting to the Catholic faith? He has no desire to become Catholic. I have had many different opinions and don't know what the truth is, Thanks.
Answer:
The Catholic Church recognizes as valid – in its own law – marriages that take place in other religions. So your husband will need to have his first marriage annulled by the Catholic Church.
But take heart, every Catholic tribunal in the country deals with the marriages of non-Catholics. If his first marriage is declared invalid in Catholic church law you would then be free to enter into the Catholic Church. I suggest speaking with your local parish priest about your husband's first marriage and your desire to become a Catholic.
My husband and I are both baptized Protestants. He was previously married to a Protestant but divorced. We were married in a Protestant Church. I want to join the Catholic Church.
Does HIS previous non-catholic marriage keep me from converting to the Catholic faith? He has no desire to become Catholic. I have had many different opinions and don't know what the truth is, Thanks.
Answer:
The Catholic Church recognizes as valid – in its own law – marriages that take place in other religions. So your husband will need to have his first marriage annulled by the Catholic Church.
But take heart, every Catholic tribunal in the country deals with the marriages of non-Catholics. If his first marriage is declared invalid in Catholic church law you would then be free to enter into the Catholic Church. I suggest speaking with your local parish priest about your husband's first marriage and your desire to become a Catholic.
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