Confused; can you help?

[esquisfo1]

In this month’s Catholic Answers Magazine, in the Quick Questions there is a question from a woman stating that she and her husband are divorced and she has remained chaste since. Their marriage was never annulled and they have been talking about getting back together. If they do, will they need to be re-married in the church? Can they still behave as husband and wife with or without a civil remarriage?
The answer from Michelle Arnold was (in short) that assuming all was in order at the time of the marriage, they would only need to be married civilly, only for civil benefits and to avoid scandal and that they should ask their pastor for a nuptial blessing.
My question is: why does a "civil"ceremony need to take place and why not just a nuptial blessing be all they need? Why mention “civil” at all? Does that mean before a judge or JP is okay?

Esqui

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear friend,

They may seek a blessing, but they don’t really need a further nuptial blessing. Since they were married in the Catholic Church the sanctifying grace they receive from the sacrament of Matrimony will continue to be present. I personally doubt that there is much chance for scandal if they are known to have had a Catholic marriage. The civil ceremony (before anyone the civil law allows for this) would assure them of the legal benefits to marriage provided by the state: their taxes would be lower and their goods would be legally held in common.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.