Am I married in the eyes of the Church?

[arbocat]

I am Catholic, my wife was Methodist. We were married in the Methodist Church with a Catholic Priest officiating. My wife has converted to Catholisism and the priest has since died. I have checked with our local archdioses to determine if the officiating priest applied for a special dispensation. The archdioses has not gotten back to me but has assured me that the officiating priest applied for the special dispensation as he had many times in the past.

Are my wife and I married in the eyes of the church, or have we been “cohabitating” all these years?

 

[revejj2000]

If the priest asked for the dispensation or permission for you to be married outside the normal form of Catholic marriage, by the dispensation or permission granted, your marriage is recognized by the Church. This is done so that you can receive the Sacraments. And in some instances, like yours, the non-Catholic becomes Catholic.

Most Catholics do not realize that a dispensation or permission can be given. When the dispensation or permission is granted, the priest who filed for the dispensation or permission creates a marriage file at his parish, enters the marriage in the marriage record and informs the Church of the Catholic party that this marriage took place.