Annulment

[AndyCatholic]

I married a protestant, I was not allowed a Catholic wedding due to my wife and her families distaste for the catholic church {I know…I should have walked away there…but here we are 16 years later} I never got permission to marry outside the church, and a priest wasen’t present {infact I never even told my priest I married…not hard since my wife, and now daughter have no desire to attend church with me} My marriage has failed, I am in the process of divorce and I want to seek Annulment so that I may be free to marry in the church.

I regularly attend Mass {no I do not recieve communion on account of my marriage condition} and I also go to confession once a year. Based on the situation listed above, how difficult will an annulment be to get.

Thank You,

Andrew

 

[Island_Oak]

Welcome to CA Forums, Andy! Sorry that such a sad topic brings you to us…but glad you sought counsel here and are looking to return in fullness to the practice of your faith.

Since none of us has the many details necessary to evaluate and properly comment on your situation…have you consulted with the church officials in your locale? What have they advised you do? Just curious–do you have kids…and what religious upbringing have they had? I ask simply because this is an issue that could continue to cause conflict between you and your wife–despite the divorce.

 

[Timidity]

In general, Catholics are required to marry in accordance with the Church. Failure to do so makes an annulment almost automatic (lack of Canonical form), unless the marriage was later convalidated.

The Church will not investigate a cause for annulment of any current, civilly legal marriage.

The second step is to talk to your pastor.

The first step is to go to confession.

 

[martino]

The only thing I know for sure based on your post is that your marriage to your wife was invalid, which means that the Sacrament did not take place since a baptized Catholic cannot marry outside of the Church without permission from a Bishop. The anulment process is to determine whether or not a marriage was valid in the first place and we already know that yours was not.

I do not know for sure and I would probably ask one of the apologists here on the forums, but I do not think it would be terribly difficult for you to obtain an anulment.

But again, if you haven’t already done so, ask your priest or one of the apologists here.