Catholic marrying outside the Church

[Black_Jaque]

I have a colleague who was born/raised Catholic, got married in a Lutheran Church without any dispensation from form, nor did they renounce their Catholicism. They got divorced, then remarried, again, outside the Church and without dispensation.

Is there any way to get their current marriage validated? Is the first marriage automatically invalid? Or does getting married outside the Church simply bar you from receiving Communion?

 

[otjm]

I have a colleague who was born/raised Catholic, got married in a Lutheran Church without any dispensation from form, nor did they renounce their Catholicism. They got divorced, then remarried, again, outside the Church and without dispensation.

Even though the first marriage appears invalid on its face, the Church still has to make a determination. Each case must be consdiered on its own merits - that is, answers here presume the facts are not otherwise than as provided - and on the face of it, it looks like it would be a very short trip through the Tribunal as it is a matter of form, not content; that is, the one spouse who was required to follow Church law did not do so. Assuming that the decree of nullity would be granted, then what they would have to do after that is present themselves to the pastor to have the marrige validated - blessed in short parlance.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The first marriage is invalid for Defect of Form. This is easily proven with Baptismal Certificates, Wedding Certificate, Divorce Decree and some witness statements that the marriage was never convalidated. The paperwork is done at the parish and sent to the Tribunal for a routine review and approval. It is one of the simplest of cases and quite straight forward.

 

[Windmill]

It is usually very straight forward to get situations like the first marriage declared null (as Joe said), but I think Joe would agree that neither he, nor I, nor you have the competence to make such a formal (and eternally important) declaration. That is for the tribunal to declare, not for you or him to assume. He should submit his cause ot the tribunal and trust that God’s will be done.

 

[SMHW]

I have a colleague who was born/raised Catholic, got married in a Lutheran Church without any dispensation from form, nor did they renounce their Catholicism. They got divorced, then remarried, again, outside the Church and without dispensation.

Is there any way to get their current marriage validated? Is the first marriage automatically invalid? Or does getting married outside the Church simply bar you from receiving Communion?

Whatever the situation, your friend ought to speak to the priest.

Is this the same two people who ‘married’, divorced and re-‘married’? Or are you describing more than one couple? If it’s the same couple I think all that might be necessary is for the couple to visit the priest and see what the steps necessary for convalidation are.

In general, I think most parishes require couples who have been civilly married for a brief period of time (5 years? 10 years?) to undergo marriage preparation similar to that of prospective newlyweds. Those who have been married longer might not need as much marriage prep but they might be expected to attend some kind of returning to the faith program.