Annulment question.

[noclevername]

Howdy. I’m not trying to start a huge debate about annulment, I am just trying to answer a friend’s question about it and i need some clarification from you wise people that I am having trouble finding on my own.

WHen two Protestants marry, it is not considered a sacrament in their church. But the Catholic church does recognize that marriage. If a divorced Protestant wanted to marry a Catholic, that Protestant would have to get an annulment through the Catholic church. Why is that? THe Protestant church does not see marriage as a sacrament therefore it doesn’t have to be resolved. But does the Catholic church see that protestant marriage as a sacrament? Is that why it has to be annulled? THanks.

 

[Jea9]

Howdy. I’m not trying to start a huge debate about annulment, I am just trying to answer a friend’s question about it and i need some clarification from you wise people that I am having trouble finding on my own.

WHen two Protestants marry, it is not considered a sacrament in their church. But the Catholic church does recognize that marriage. If a divorced Protestant wanted to marry a Catholic, that Protestant would have to get an annulment through the Catholic church. Why is that? THe Protestant church does not see marriage as a sacrament therefore it doesn’t have to be resolved. But does the Catholic church see that protestant marriage as a sacrament? Is that why it has to be annulled? THanks.

The Sacrament of Marriage is contracted between two Christians. It does not matter what their denomination is (assuming that they are baptized and were baptized in a religion that the Holy Mother Church recognizes–the few that they don’t are Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, Unitarian, and some Pentecostal). If they were not baptized then it is only a natural marriage. It doesn’t matter if the protestant church doesn’t see it as a Sacrament, God does.

 

[kage_ar]

First, the Catholic Church does not give annulments. The Church investigates marriages to see if they were valid and if they were invalid she issues a Decree of Nullity.

A Sacramental marriage is a valid marriage where both parties are baptized Christians.

Marriage can be non-Sacramental and be valid all day long.

 

[noclevername]

Thanks Jea9!! That’s exactly what I needed to know. It’s what I thought was correct but I wanted to make sure. Thanks for responding so quickly!!

 

[tee_eff_em]

You may find more information (and/or confusion!) on this recent thread, [thread=385179]Minister of the Mystery of Marriage(Crowning)[/thread], starting around post #11.

tee