My husband does not feel he can attend the wedding ceremony. Any advice?

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.