Divorcee remarrying in Catholic church?

zaksmum

Their first marriage was in a C of E church. The husband was a loser who was carrying on with other women behind his new wife's back within weeks of marrying. She divorced him for adultery.

The fiance is Catholic and would prefer to marry in the Catholic church. he's never been married. They will bring any children up as Catholic.

I can't see them being able to get an annulment and the girl would most certainly not want to have to contact her ex husband!

So will the Catholic church consider the first marriage valid as it was actually in a church?

Tulip09

First wife would have to agree to an annulment in the eyes of god etc but there is ways round that i think. Woman is free to marry in the church as she wishes having not been married previously etc. If they dont get permission im sure they would be able to get some sort of blessing in the church of their choice after a civil ceremony

Jewel_2

Getting married C of E is up to the vicar, we had a cool one, as I am a divorcee.

I personally wouldn't apologise to anyone and if I wasn't accepted in the eyes of any church I wouldn't want to be in it.

Sparkles79

Ok...you need to get the person who was previously married to contact the local catholic diocese and speak to the tribunals office.

I am not catholic and I now have a decree of nullity (sp), apparently you are meant to allow two years for it but mine went though much quicker. Fiance is catholic.

I had to be interviewed by someone (yes it was lengthy, but done in a day), I had to supply witnesses and provide last known details for ex husband. They wrote to him and he decided not to take part in the process.

I made a donation, but it was made very clear that if I could not afford it then it was not neccessary.

There are many reasons for marriage being invalid and the diocese will advise if any apply to your friend.

They have a form of tribunal where three judges (priests) decide whether the marriage was valid, then if they decide it is not valid they then send it to another diocese for a second opinion.

The only major issue is that if the ex decides to drag it out, then it can be lengthy, and can be referred to Rome, which is where the major delays come in.

Btw. I was informed by the diocese that although in the eyes of the catholic chuch my marriage never happened, my child was very much considered legitimate - get that logic!

Hth - if you need anymore info then feel free to PM me

Amara

Tulip09 wrote: »

My parents got married in a catholic church (dad was catholic/mum wasnt they had to get special permission at the time). Fast forward 28 years and they divorce. Dad decides to remarry a catholic woman and returns to church. Mum suddenly recieves papers to sign saying her marriage wasnt legal in the 'eyes of god etc' she is devestated but signs anyway as she had kids and didnt want the 'fight' from the church etc. Dad is then free to marry in the catholic church as his first marriage wasnt legal in the churches eyes! Needless to say no family member went or supported him.

What excacly was written in this paper? What reasons have been given that marriage has been declared invalid? There had to be something, it's not like if he wanted to remarry he just asks for a document and that's it,it doesn't worklike that. I'm suprisied your mum was devasited but didn't fight.

onlyroz

Why would you want to marry into an organization that treats you in such a demeaning manner?

Amara

zaksmum wrote: »

Their first marriage was in a C of E church. The husband was a loser who was carrying on with other women behind his new wife's back within weeks of marrying. She divorced him for adultery.

The fiance is Catholic and would prefer to marry in the Catholic church. he's never been married. They will bring any children up as Catholic.

I can't see them being able to get an annulment and the girl would most certainly not want to have to contact her ex husband!

So will the Catholic church consider the first marriage valid as it was actually in a church?

She wouldn't have to contact him, just local diocese, church annulment is not civil divorce and pretty much all the work is done by priests.

Amara

I'm suprised , and it's not nice suprise. Why there are so many nasty comments about Catholics? "hypocrites, they treat you in bad manner" Very often these comments are from people whose don't understand Catholic religion. Process of annulement of the marriage is very complicated and really many details are needed before someone says "my neighbour did this and he just got paper 'it was all invalid' "

Tulip09

I was brought up in the church and am absolutely disgusted how they can deem a legal marriage invalid as it suits one person and their wallet! No neighbours here at all! this was my life and quite simply i loved the church and thought i was a good catholic until my father bought what he wanted from them. That disgusted me! I went to church 3 times a week usually, and was honest in my faith and weaknesses until that point. Now if my father died or his church did i wouldnt give a toss tbh

Re the poster that mentioned the leghty documant given to my mother - it contained many questions relating to her and her role as a mother or a wife. Lots of blank spaces to fill in etc.

Gloomendoom

I'm C of E and previously divorced. We remarried in a C of E Church but we had to jump through some hoops. The fact that I had originally married in a civil service did not gain me any points (probably rightly so.) It also helps if you and your intended are regular church goers.

The answer to the OP's question from a Catholic perspective might be in here...

Q. Friends of mine wish to marry in the Catholic Church, but the woman has had a former civil marriage, which subsequently ended in divorce. Can they still get married in the Catholic Church?

A. The answers to your questions depend on a number of factors, to which you have not provided the necessary information. However I’ve covered the most important of these, and you will know, of course, which apply.

1. If one or both parties in the civil marriage were Catholic, and had not by a formal act defected from the Catholic faith, and were married outside the Catholic Church (without permission), that marriage would not be valid, as it did not conform to the requirements of Canon Law. So the woman would be free to marry, after a civil divorce, as she is not, and has not, been married.

2. If both parties were non-Catholic, and married outside the Catholic Church (they wouldn't of course marry in a Catholic church anyway), their marriage is assumed to be valid. Marriage is said to ‘have the favour of law’ that is, it is assumed valid until it is legally proved otherwise, therefore the woman would not be free to marry again, even if the marriage ended in a civil divorce; as she would still be married in the eyes of God and the Church. I quote from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church No.349: 'The Church, since she is faithful to her Lord, cannot recognise the union of people who are civilly divorced and remarried. "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her: and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery" (Mark 10:11-12).

3. If the present couple (your friends) are not married (bearing in mind 1 & 2 above), and one party is Catholic and the other a baptised member of another Christian denomination, they must get permission to marry in the Catholic Church, (there is usually no difficulty in getting this). The following Canons apply:
Canon 1124: Without the express permission of the competent authority, marriage is prohibited between two baptised persons, one of whom was baptised in the Catholic Church or received into it after baptism and has not defected from it by a formal act, the other of whom belongs to a church or ecclesial community not in full communion with the Catholic Church.
Canon 1125: The local ordinary (bishop) can grant this permission if there is a just and reasonable cause. He is not to grant it unless the following conditions are fulfilled: 1. The Catholic party is to declare that he or she is prepared to remove dangers of defecting from the faith, and to make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power in order that all the children be baptised and brought up in the Catholic Church; 2. The other party is to be informed in good time of these promises to be made by the Catholic party, so that it is certain that he or she is truly aware of the promise and of the obligation of the Catholic party; 3. Both parties are to be instructed about the purposes and essential properties of marriage, which are not to be excluded by either contractant.
Canon 1126: It is for the Episcopal Conference to prescribe the manner in which these declarations and promises, which are always required, are to be made, and to determine how they are to be established in the external forum, and how the non-catholic party is to be informed of them. (The last canon is saying the Bishop's Conference in this country decides how the promises etc. are carried out in practice.)

4. If the couple are not married (again bearing in mind 1 & 2 above) and one party was baptised in the Catholic Church or received into it and has not by a formal act defected from it, and the other was not baptised, this impediment can only be dispensed if the conditions in Canons 1125 and 1126 (above) have been fulfilled.

I hope this clarifies the various situations for you. It would be expected that the couple take pre-marriage instruction on the meaning and understanding of marriage in the Catholic Church. The local Catholic priest would need to be approached to arrange this, and to get the necessary permissions to marry if marriage is permissible.

catholicmarriagecentre.org.uk