Can adult Confirmation/First Communion take place before annulment granted?

[TabbyLilac]

My fiance and I and our 2 young children are joining the Catholic Church. We would like to be married as Catholics, but I will first need to obtain an annulment (which I am quite confident of getting).

Will my Confirmation and ability to receive Communion following my first confession need to be delayed until after my annulment is granted? Or, since I am not yet remarried, may I receive Confirmation and Communion once I’ve made my first confession?

My fiance has never been married, so I don’t think it would affect him.

Thank you!

 

[Oneofthewomen]

This is a question that should be asked of your Pastor or RCIA director.

People on this forum can give you lots of opinions, none of which matter, as ultimately your Pastor is the one who will make the decision.

Technically, since you are not married, I would think not having the annulment yet would not be a big issue, but because you are in another relationship, and anticipating getting married, there may be other issues that could delay your Confirmation. Please, speak with your Pastor.

 

[TabbyLilac]

Ok, thank you. I thought maybe there was a set process or rule that someone here would be knowledgeable about, I didn’t realize it was up to each individual parish.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Ok, thank you. I thought maybe there was a set process or rule that someone here would be knowledgeable about, I didn’t realize it was up to each individual parish.

Not so much *each individual parish *as: **Each case is individual, therefore few if any here can speak knowledgeably, and certainly not with the (sparse) amount of information appropriate to expose on a public forum.

tee
Like So Many Here: Not A Canon Lawyer

 

[Joe_5859]

Tee is right. Everyone’s case is unique and generally needs to be evaluated by the pastor and/or RCIA director on a case-by-case basis.

Generally speaking, the obstacle to entering the Church for those who have not yet received an annulment is when they are remarried. Divorce by itself is not an obstacle to becoming Catholic. Getting remarried is where the problem comes in.

From the Church’s perspective, a person that gets married is assumed to be validly married unless proven otherwise (which happens through the annulment proceedings). If a married person gets a civil divorce and moves away from their spouse, the Church would still consider them married, and there may or may not be sin involved, but it could generally be forgiven and the person brought into the Church. Once a person gets remarried, though, their situation changes to one of living in a state of presumed adultery seeing as how they are still assumed to be validly married to their first spouse. That is an obstacle because the state is ongoing.

As has been said, this is how it goes generally. How that applies for you is best dealt with in your parish.

 

[PJM]

This is a question that should be asked of your Pastor or RCIA director.

People on this forum can give you lots of opinions, none of which matter, as ultimately your Pastor is the one who will make the decision.

Technically, since you are not married, I would think not having the annulment yet would not be a big issue, but because you are in another relationship, and anticipating getting married, there may be other issues that could delay your Confirmation. Please, speak with your Pastor.

Excellent advice:thumbsup:

Just as a FYI: If neither of you are Catholic you will also MOST likely {talk to your pastor} have to also plan on RCIA: “Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults”, as well. This is the NORM for entry into the RCC.

I suggest that you call the parish office and make an appointment to speak to Father and get all of your questions answered. I would do this ASAP.

If your spouse has been married, {depending on in the Church or a civil union?} an annulment MAY be necessary. Again. go to the source; make an appointment with you parish priest.

Both an annulment & RCIA take some time, so act ASAP.

God Bless you,
Patrick {PJM} here on CAF

 

[Horton]

My fiance and I and our 2 young children are joining the Catholic Church. We would like to be married as Catholics, but I will first need to obtain an annulment (which I am quite confident of getting).

Will my Confirmation and ability to receive Communion following my first confession need to be delayed until after my annulment is granted? Or, since I am not yet remarried, may I receive Confirmation and Communion once I’ve made my first confession?

My fiance has never been married, so I don’t think it would affect him.

Thank you!

Tee is right. Everyone’s case is unique and generally needs to be evaluated by the pastor and/or RCIA director on a case-by-case basis.

Generally speaking, the obstacle to entering the Church for those who have not yet received an annulment is when they are remarried. Divorce by itself is not an obstacle to becoming Catholic. Getting remarried is where the problem comes in.

From the Church’s perspective, a person that gets married is assumed to be validly married unless proven otherwise (which happens through the annulment proceedings). If a married person gets a civil divorce and moves away from their spouse, the Church would still consider them married, and there may or may not be sin involved, but it could generally be forgiven and the person brought into the Church. Once a person gets remarried, though, their situation changes to one of living in a state of presumed adultery seeing as how they are still assumed to be validly married to their first spouse. That is an obstacle because the state is ongoing.

As has been said, this is how it goes generally. How that applies for you is best dealt with in your parish.

Joe has given you good advice here. I just want to add, if you are living with your fiancé, and I am making an assumption here, you would want to defiantly include that in your conversation with your priest.

You do not need to affirm my assumption here. I wouldn’t ask you to reveal personal information such as that. But it does go to Catholic teaching on marriage, intimacy, chastity.

Please do so before the Easter Vigil if you have been in RCIA this year.

 

[Phemie]

Joe has given you good advice here. I just want to add, if you are living with your fiancé, and I am making an assumption here, you would want to defiantly include that in your conversation with your priest.

Definitely include it but not, I hope, defiantly.

 

[Horton]

Definitely include it but not, I hope, defiantly.

Need to watch my spell check