Can previously married in Anglican church remarry in Catholic church?

[Triput]

Hello,

My fiancee was previously married in the Anglican church. Being a Catholic it is very important for me to get married in a Catholic church. I know that one cannot get remarried in Catholic church without an annulment if previously married in Catholic church.

What is the church policy on remarrying those who were previously married under some other Christian denomination (Anglican church)?

Can we get married without annulment? And if we need an annulment should we try to get one from Catholic or Anglican church?

Thank you in advance.

GOD bless

Ivan

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The essential element of marriage is the exchange of consent. Only Catholics are obligated to be married in the Church.

Thus anytime two non-Catholics exchange marital consent their vows are presumed valid. If two baptized non-Catholics exchanged marital consent then their marriage is considered a sacramental marriage.

An annulment can only be received through the Catholic Church. Only the Church has the authority to bind and loose.

So there are three possible avenues in cases that you describe:

1. If the marriage was of two baptized non-Catholics then the marriage is presumed to be a valid sacramental marriage and a “full annulment” is required to be free to marry.
2. If the marriage was of a baptized non-Catholic and a non-baptized person, then there is a possibility of either a Pauline or Petrine Privilege depending on circumstances.
3. If the marriage involved a non-Catholic and a baptized Catholic marrying outside of canonical form without permission, then the marriage was automatically invalid.