ppcpilot:
Both my wife and I were married outside of the church for selfish reasons, and at that time, we were fallen away catholics. We did do the pre-cana stuff, and met with our local priest, etc…when we got back, about 2 weeks later, we were ‘re-married’ in the church.
Am I correct assume you and your wife were married to
each other outside the Church? If not, and your and your wife were married to different people outside of the Church, you may have to get both of those marriages annulled. Here’s what Canon Law says about that:
Can. 1085 §1. A person bound by the bond of a prior marriage, even if it was not consummated, invalidly attempts marriage.
§2.
Even if the prior marriage is invalid or dissolved for any reason, it is
not on that account permitted to contract another before the nullity or dissolution of the prior marriage is established legitimately and certainly.
Now, if you were married to each other outside the Church and then remarried to each other again in the Church, your marriage is presumed to be valid until it is proven otherwise.
Can. 1060 Marriage possesses the favor of law; therefore, in a case of doubt, the validity of a marriage must be upheld until the contrary is proven.
Your reasons for getting married and your intentions for your marriage MIGHT or might not make your marriage invalid.
Can. 1101 §2. If, however, either or both of the parties by a **positive act of the will ** exclude marriage itself, some essential element of marriage, or some essential property of marriage, the party contracts invalidly.
Can. 1102 §1. A marriage subject to a condition about the
future cannot be contracted validly.
§2. A marriage entered into subject to a condition about the past or the present is valid or not insofar as that which is subject to the condition exists or not.
The essential elements required are:
interpersonal relationship between the partners, openness to procreation and education of children, commitment to indissolubility (permanence), community of life between the partners, fidelity, and acceptance of each other as unique and independent individuals.
AND
CCC Paragraph 1626 The Church holds the exchange of consent between the spouses to be the indispensable element that “makes the marriage.” If consent is lacking there is no marriage.
The essential properties of marriage that are mentioned in Canon Law are:
Can. 1056 The essential properties of marriage are unity and indissolubility, which in Christian marriage obtain a special firmness by reason of the sacrament.
You mentioned that you “did not live as brother and sister” prior to your marriage in the Church. Although this is considered contrary to the purpose of marriage and a grave sin, I don’t believe that it would invalidate your marriage. The CCC says that you should recieve the Sacrament of Reconciliation prior to getting married (be in the state of grace to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony), but I don’t think it says that failure to do so would invalidate your marriage.
CCC Paragraph 1622 “Inasmuch as it is a sacramental action of sanctification, the liturgical celebration of marriage . . . must be, per se, valid, worthy, and fruitful.” *It is therefore **appropriate *** for the bride and groom to prepare themselves for the celebration of their marriage by receiving the sacrament of penance.
In my interpretation of this passage, the “receiving of the sacrament of penance” corresponds to the “worthiness” of the celebration rather than the validity or fruitfulness of it, much like being in the state of grace to recieve the Eucharist corresponds to making yourself “worthy” to recieve that sacrament.
Please keep in mind that ALL of these comments are just my own personal interpretations of what I’ve read and that I could very well be wrong on any of this. Hopefully, someone with more knowledge on this subject will comment.
