Advise someone to leave his kids and their mother for his wife?

[Shepard]

If a couple was married in the Catholic church and were baptized in the Catholic Church and they got divorced without an annulment (because they didn’t think they had to follow that “rule”) Then they both “remarried” in a protestant Church and had several kids each with the new “spouse”. If they were to make it right with the Catholic Church, would they have to leave thier current “spouse” and kids and be reunited to each or just live as brother and sister with their new “spouses”… What about the kids? This is assuming of course that their annulment was not granted.

 

[martino]

You are right, they could make a good confession and live as brother and sister.

You asked “what about the kids” but I do not see how this scenario poses a problem for the kids. What exactly do you mean?

 

[puzzleannie]

their situation is precisely what it would be if either or both of them left their spouse, shacked up with another person and had children with the new partner. the technical term is adultery.

 

[otm]

One of the rights and priviledges of marriage is morally lawful intercourse.

The fact that they went through a civil divorce does not grant them that right with their new husband or wife. The fact that the civil divorce gives them the civil right to remarry does not impact the fact that in the eyes of the Church, they are still married to the first spouse.

If they do not receive a declaration of nullity (an annullment) from the first marriage, then, while they are legally married to the second spouse, they are morally and sacrmentally married to the first spouse.

Assuming that all of the children were of the second marriage, the Church would not demand or require that the individuals get a divorce but it would require that the couple live as brother and sister if they wished to return to the Sacraments, and holds that they are living in an objectively sinful relationship if they are not.

Tough choices resulting from poor, wrong-headed choices