A Marriage Question

[Matthew_Holford]

This question is not hypothetical but relates to a real life situation.

Throughout the question I shall refer to the man as X and the female as Y.

X was a protestant. He married a protestant woman. They we married in a protestant church. It was a mainstream protestant church and the Catholic Church recognises its baptisms as valid. X’s wife committed adultery. X sued for and was granted a divorce in the civil courts.

Y is a Latin Catholic. She married a Latin Catholic man. They were married according to canonical form. They lived in the same parish and were married by their proper parish priest in their proper parish church. After 14 years of marriage Y was widowed when her husband died.

X and Y met. After a period of courtship they decided to marry. Y wanted to be married in the Catholic Church. The priest said no because X was a divorcee and his former wife was still living.

X did not go down he route of asking a church tribunal to investigate his first marriage to see if it was valid or null and void.

X and Y married in a civil ceremony.

The requirements of the Catholic Church did not matter to X who did not attend any church. Y continued to go to church on Sundays.

Because Y was not divorced but widowed was she entitled to receive communion? I know for certain if she had divorced and civilly remarried she would not be entitled to receive communion. But her widowhood relieved her from any prior marriage bond. So was she free to receive communion or was the fact she married a divorced man with a prior living spouse mean Y should not receive communion?

After some time X’s former wife died. Did that change their circumstances as X no longer had a living former spouse?

X has died, leaving Y widowed again. If marrying X meant she should not have received communion does the death of X alter her situation?

 

[Just_Lurking]

So was she free to receive communion or was the fact she married a divorced man with a prior living spouse mean Y should not receive communion?

Y should not have received communion.

After some time X’s former wife died. Did that change their circumstances as X no longer had a living former spouse?

It removed the impediment of prior bond on X, so that X and Y could now be married in a proper Catholic ceremony if they chose to. However, X and Y’s civil marriage would still be considered invalid.

X has died, leaving Y widowed again. If marrying X meant she should not have received communion does the death of X alter her situation?

Yes, Y is free to receive communion again, after confession of her relationship with X.

 

[1ke]

Because Y was not divorced but widowed was she entitled to receive communion?

Yes, right up until she entered an invalid marriage with X. As a result of entering an invalid marriage, no she may not receive communion. There could be an exception to this if she goes to her priest in confession and then lives in continence until her marriage is convalidated.

I know for certain if she had divorced and civilly remarried she would not be entitled to receive communion. But her widowhood relieved her from any prior marriage bond. So was she free to receive communion or was the fact she married a divorced man with a prior living spouse mean Y should not receive communion?

Her current invalid marriage prohibits her from receiving communion.

After some time X’s former wife died. Did that change their circumstances as X no longer had a living former spouse?

It will after X and Y exchange vows in the Catholic form-- i.e. the convalidate their civil marriage.

X has died, leaving Y widowed again. If marrying X meant she should not have received communion does the death of X alter her situation?

Yes. After going to confession regarding her complicity in violating Church law, adultery, etc, then she may resume the sacramental life.

 

[ConstantineTG]

This question is not hypothetical but relates to a real life situation.

Throughout the question I shall refer to the man as X and the female as Y.

X was a protestant. He married a protestant woman. They we married in a protestant church. It was a mainstream protestant church and the Catholic Church recognises its baptisms as valid. X’s wife committed adultery. X sued for and was granted a divorce in the civil courts.

Y is a Latin Catholic. She married a Latin Catholic man. They were married according to canonical form. They lived in the same parish and were married by their proper parish priest in their proper parish church. After 14 years of marriage Y was widowed when her husband died.

X and Y met. After a period of courtship they decided to marry. Y wanted to be married in the Catholic Church. The priest said no because X was a divorcee and his former wife was still living.

X did not go down he route of asking a church tribunal to investigate his first marriage to see if it was valid or null and void.

X and Y married in a civil ceremony.

The requirements of the Catholic Church did not matter to X who did not attend any church. Y continued to go to church on Sundays.

Because Y was not divorced but widowed was she entitled to receive communion? I know for certain if she had divorced and civilly remarried she would not be entitled to receive communion. But her widowhood relieved her from any prior marriage bond. So was she free to receive communion or was the fact she married a divorced man with a prior living spouse mean Y should not receive communion?

No, Y cannot receive Communion unless she repents and goes to Confession and also stops living as if husband and wife with X.

After some time X’s former wife died. Did that change their circumstances as X no longer had a living former spouse?

Y can go to confession and have the marriage convalidated. Without convalidation she still would be living in sin. But since X is now free to marry, they can have the marriage convalidated.

X has died, leaving Y widowed again. If marrying X meant she should not have received communion does the death of X alter her situation?

Since it is not impossible to have marital relations with X, Y can repent and go to confession and receive afterwards. She doesn’t automatically qualify to receive for she lived a life of sin through an invalid marriage which the Church sees as adultrous. But since she will not be living that life anymore, she can repent from her sin and be reconcilled with the Church.

 

[Spirithound]

Yes, right up until…

Her current…

It will after…

Yes. After going…

I concur on all points.

 

[joandarc2008]

I concur - and add prayers for the poor woman who shall be called Y.

And in addition Y would be free to marry as she is a widow- however she should not date or marry anyone that has an impediment to marriage.

 

[newyorkcatholic]

Agree with the above!

How great is that … a little disappointed I couldn’t argue about something related to canon law .

My prayers with Y.

 

[puzzleannie]

.

Because Y was not divorced but widowed was she entitled to receive communion? I know for certain if she had divorced and civilly remarried she would not be entitled to receive communion. But her widowhood relieved her from any prior marriage bond. So was she free to receive communion or was the fact she married a divorced man with a prior living spouse mean Y should not receive communion??

NO she may not receive communion, she is living in adultery with a married man unless and until that man’s prior marriage is investigated by the canon law tribunal of his diocese and judged to be null. keeping it hypothetical, of course.

since OP states this is a real life situation, the real life woman will only get advice applicable to her personal situation if she submits all the facts to her pastor and lets him guide her on how to procede.

now jump to the future, and X’s ex dies (say that 3 times fast)
he is now free to marry, but Y who is bound by Catholic canon law form for the sacrament of marriage, has never actually undergone a valid form of marriage with him. She is bound to ask for convalidation of the current marriage before she is restored to full communion with the Catholic Church, i.e. entitled to participate in the Eucharist and other sacraments, and for that matter before she can make a valid confession and be absolved.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

NO she may not receive communion, she is living in adultery with a married man unless and until that man’s prior marriage is investigated by the canon law tribunal of his diocese and judged to be null. keeping it hypothetical, of course.

since OP states this is a real life situation, the real life woman will only get advice applicable to her personal situation if she submits all the facts to her pastor and lets him guide her on how to procede.

now jump to the future, and X’s ex dies (say that 3 times fast)
he is now free to marry, but Y who is bound by Catholic canon law form for the sacrament of marriage, has never actually undergone a valid form of marriage with him. She is bound to ask for convalidation of the current marriage before she is restored to full communion with the Catholic Church, i.e. entitled to participate in the Eucharist and other sacraments, and for that matter before she can make a valid confession and be absolved.

Can I just point out what was said in the OP. X is dead. So Y is no longer married to anyone. Therefore there is no possibility of X going through an annulment process. X and Y cannot have a convalidation. What position does this put Y in now?

 

[1ke]

Can I just point out what was said in the OP. X is dead. So Y is no longer married to anyone. Therefore there is no possibility of X going through an annulment process. X and Y cannot have a convalidation. What position does this put Y in now?

See post above.

If Y is now twice widowed, she can go to Confession regarding her invalid attempt at marriage to X and then resume the sacramental life.