Can I become catholic married to a divorced catholic

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gaulle

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I am an Episcopalian married to a divorced catholic and we have a daughter. My wife never had an annulment. I might like to become catholic, but my wife does not want to go back to the Catholic Church because she has negative feelings from growing up in it.

Is it possible for me to become catholic or ever receive communion being married to a divorced catholic. Also, so I can attend church with my family, we would still also attend episcopal church.

I would like to attend the Catholic Church because I deeply believe in god, but feel that my episcopal church literally is run by atheists. I want to be in a community of believers and feel connected to god, but this seems hard at the episcopal church.

Does anyone have any advice. Could I attend a Catholic Church on my own. Also, I don’t see myself ever making my wife and I live as brother and sister. Is there anything possible? I currently attend a daily mass by my office once or twice a week but do not take communion. Is this odd to do?
 
I am not sure but II think that you can converted to the Catholic faith, even in a irregular situation such as this.

But a person married with a catholic sacramentally married with another one that is still alive, and without receive a nullity order, should not receive communion.
She can, but need to live as brother and sister with her civil spouse.

I don’t understand the point of becoming Catholic and married to a Catholic, but still attend both Church? You do not need to attend your former Church when you are converted. Or it is because your wife want to attend to a Church that is not her?

Not it is not odd to attend a mass regularly if you are not Catholic, if you do not take communion. But it is normal that It leads you to the question of conversion! 😉

Technical questions should be posed to the pastor of your areas of living or to the diocesan office.
 
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Welcome Home! Speak to your priest, God always makes a way!
 
My wife likes the episcopal church, and I would like her to be happy also. It seems it’s better she attends that than nothing and that it’s better we attend as a family at least some times. She just can’t deal with the churches stance on divorce and sexual issues.
 
The priest does not greet at the door after the daily mass. Should I email or call, or just approach them after the mass. They seem busy, and I feel odd about it.
 
Email or call. Know that Monday is often the priest’s day off, so, don’t fret if you do not get an answer tomorrow 🙂
 
After the mass is not the appropriate time to ask personal and very technical questions. Better to email him, or called the rectory and ask for an appointment after briefly explain the object.

And perhaps they will redirect you to a more appropriate service.
 
Ok, that’s not simple. Your position is understandable.

Another question that need to dig: in what Church your children will be raised?

If you choose to become Catholic, it is seems logical that the children should be raised in the Church of his parents, which will be Catholic.
Is your wife agree with that?
 
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Our daughter was baptized in the episcopal church. I am not sure in the long run what my wife’s thoughts will be about our daughter and church. I think I would have to go myself, build up some life in the church, and see what they think of it.

My wife grew up in a household where her father was a catholic who later lost faith, and her mother is an atheist. Her sisters became athiests and one enthusiastically performs late term abortions for a living. I have no idea if she will come around, but I am glad she considers herself Christian.
 
Your wife surrunding relative is not favourable to her proximity of the Church… and her divorce makes the things worst and painfull.

I am very sorry for you and her.

That’s not a secret, that topics relative to sexuality, marriage and life as sensible one that can drew closer to the Catholic Church or seen as repulsive.

A conversion could raised unconfortable and serious topics between a couple and a family…
But perhaps you coud act slowly, and even if you not avoid them, raised them in appropriate time and context?

And perhaps begin with made your own path of faith, deep thinks and made life’s cloice your you, and obtain pratical and pastoral answers for the Catholic Church?
 
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gaulle said:
Does anyone have any advice
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Yes. My advice is to sit down with the Catholic pastor of your local parish and have a talk with him. You are not going to get helpful advice on this particular subject here on the internet.

NO ONE here can answer your question, because it is very specific to your marriage situation which involves not only your history but your wife’s too. We do not have enough information to discuss it meaningfully, and the local Catholic pastor is in the best position to talk to you, possibly your wife, and come to some sort of solution for you if one is to be had.
 
gaulle said:
I don’t see myself ever making my wife and I live as brother and sister.
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While it is possible you could become a Catholic you would have to be upfront with the priest running the RCIA program that even if you became a Catholic you intend to continue an adulterous relationship. I’m not quite sure how that would be received by the priest.
 
Did your wife marry in the Catholic Church? Given her family situation she may not have. If she did not an anullment is a much simpler process and it may be possible to convince her to do it for you.
 
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Elf01 said:
Did your wife marry in the Catholic Church? Given her family situation she may not have. If she did not an anullment is a much simpler process and it may be possible to convince her to do it for you.
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A very cogent post by Elf. If the wife is a baptized Catholic who married outside the church without the church’s permission, the marriage would be annulled based on “error in form”, a rather simple paperwork effort. There are also many other possibilities. You have to get to the truth. Really in this situation as to rectification, the ball is in the wife’s court.
Many, many Catholics have no really good understanding of the faith they were raised in. In my experience, the number of Catholics who have misconceptions and misunderstandings of Catholic doctrine at least number as many as non Catholics. That is a result of really poor teaching in the past. Really, the only proper course to follow is to convince the wife to meet with a couple of priests (with you in attendance also) who can erase the misconceptions and animus she might feel based on poor teaching in her youth.
 
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No she was married in the church. She did it just to make her grandparents and more observant relatives happy. But she said both her and the man she married did not attend church before or after and were nearly atheists at the time. She said she ultimately divorced him because he didn’t seem that he wanted to have children or put much effort into a family if they did have children.
 
joeybaggz said:
the marriage would be annulled based on “error in form”,
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This isn’t exactly accurate.

A Catholic married outside the church without dispensation has an invalid attempt at marriage due to a lack of form. Not an error or defect of form.

And there is no annulment, as there is no presumption of validity.
 
Unfortunate. Your moral options are to live as brother and sister with her or for her to get an annulment and you to convalidate your marriage.

If your wifes ex did not want children at the time of the marriage that would be grounds but it would need to be proven, which is difficult. Would your wife be willing to try the longer process for you? Could you attend RCIA together?
 
I would discuss this with a priest. There may be other possible impediments to her first marriage that would make it invalid, especially if they entered with an unCatholic understanding of what their marriage would be (permanence, open to children, the partner wasn’t deceived, etc) Resolving this would be more personally intrusive than a lack of form case would be, though. I’m not sure how open your wife would be to revisiting this. But it might be worthwile to discuss with a knowledgeable priest and maybe also your wife can be open to at least hearing out what this process would entail.
 
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