Confused... On Marriage

[adelore]

From what I understand…

1. If a person (who was born and raised Catholic, then fell away from the Catholic Church.) got married outside of the Catholic Church (because they were still away from the Catholic Church) the Catholic Church Doesn’t recongize the marriage. Although in the Catholic Church see’s it as a Civil Marraige. Then years later this person got divorced and later married to someone else, (who by the way was born and baptized Catholic with some Catholic up bringing) and has been for years now… How is this viewed?
2. Then we take the person in #1. After many years he/she come’s back home to the Catholic Church, (although their spouse is not a praticing Catholic) is their marriage valid or not? I might add, the spouse was baptized Catholic, even though not a praticing Catholic, and the one spouse has never been married. Their marriage took place at the country court house.
3. Yet (again if I understand this correctly) if a non-Catholic couple marry, then the Catholic Church recongizes their marriage. Because at the time they were married they were not Catholic and still are not Catholic, yet the Catholic Church recongizes their marriage as a true marriage.

Now the way I understand it is this. The Catholic who fell away from the Chruch, married outside the Church, then got divorced, then later married again and years later went back to the Catholic Church still needs to get a Anullment.

Yet like the person whom I’ve been talking to said this to me, “Why do I need to get an Anulment if the Catholic Church didn’t reconized my 1st marriage anyway?” They feel they need to get their 2nd marriage blessed by the Catholic Church, but that’s all.

I must admit, I’m confussed on how to give a proper answer, because I too have heard this before. What they said made sense to me, although I don’t know if it’s correct or not.

On one hand the Catholic Church doesn’t recongized the 1st marriage (who wasn’t to a Catholic) as it was outside the Catholic Church, (so why the need for the Anullment?)

The second marriage although (performed at the courthouse many years ago) outside the Catholic Church, (they are now married to a Baptized Catholic) needs to be blessed…by a Priest.

Ok how do I explain this, as how they explained it to me made sense…but I’m not sure.

Thanks for your help.

 

[1ke]

1. If a person (who was born and raised Catholic, then fell away from the Catholic Church.) got married outside of the Catholic Church (because they were still away from the Catholic Church) the Catholic Church Doesn’t recongize the marriage. Although in the Catholic Church see’s it as a Civil Marraige. Then years later this person got divorced and later married to someone else, (who by the way was born and baptized Catholic with some Catholic up bringing) and has been for years now… How is this viewed?

They are currently in an invalid marriage. They did not marry in the Catholic form, nor did they have permission to marry outside the Catholic form.

1. Then we take the person in #1. After many years he/she come’s back home to the Catholic Church, (although their spouse is not a praticing Catholic) is their marriage valid or not? I might add, the spouse was baptized Catholic, even though not a praticing Catholic, and the one spouse has never been married. Their marriage took place at the country court house.

They are in an invalid marriage.

They can seek convalidation, which makes their marriage valid in the Church. They should make an appointment to talk to their priest.

1. Yet (again if I understand this correctly) if a non-Catholic couple marry, then the Catholic Church recongizes their marriage. Because at the time they were married they were not Catholic and still are not Catholic, yet the Catholic Church recongizes their marriage as a true marriage.

Non-Catholics validly marry in their own faith tradition, or civilly. This assumes there are no impediments such as prior marriages, or other divine law impediments. Non-Catholics are not under the jurisdiction of Canon Law, and therefore do not have to marry in the Catholic form. Catholics, on the other hand, are bound by Canon Law regarding the form of the Sacrament.

Now the way I understand it is this. The Catholic who fell away from the Chruch, married outside the Church, then got divorced, then later married again and years later went back to the Catholic Church still needs to get a Anullment.

A Catholic married and divorced outside the Church does not complete a Tribunal case for nullity. They complete a documentary case. The provide their marriage and divorce certificates and their baptismal records. It is then documented that they are free to marry due to lack of form. They would then be able to convalidate their current marriage.

Yet like the person whom I’ve been talking to said this to me, “Why do I need to get an Anulment if the Catholic Church didn’t reconized my 1st marriage anyway?” They feel they need to get their 2nd marriage blessed by the Catholic Church, but that’s all.

They need to complete premarital paperwork attesting to their freedom to marry-- just like every couple who approaches the Church for marriage. In their case, this paperwork includes documentation of their first-- invalid-- marriage. It is not a Tribunal nullity case.

I must admit, I’m confussed on how to give a proper answer, because I too have heard this before. What they said made sense to me, although I don’t know if it’s correct or not.

On one hand the Catholic Church doesn’t recongized the 1st marriage (who wasn’t to a Catholic) as it was outside the Catholic Church, (so why the need for the Anullment?)

There is no need for a decree of nullity. There is a need for documentation in the premarital investigation.

The second marriage although (performed at the courthouse many years ago) outside the Catholic Church, (they are now married to a Baptized Catholic) needs to be blessed…by a Priest.

Yes, it requires convalidation.

 

[adelore]

Thank you so much for your answers!

Since this would still be easy for me to “mix-up” all the answers, I’ll just print it out and give it to my friend.

Thanks Again,
Adelore