Converts re-marriage Q?

[Departed_Light]

It is my understanding that the Catholic Church recognizes as valid any Christian baptism that used the Trinitarian formula. Anyone who was say baptized as a Southern Baptist but converts to Catholicism does not get baptized again as they enter into the Catholic Communion.

Let’s say that same guy is married and both he and his wife convert to Catholicism at the same time. Does the Church recognize their marriage or do they need to be married in the Catholic Church for the marriage to be viewed as valid?

 

[ALLGIRLS]

If they were both free to marry (neither was married before and divorced) then, yes, their marriage is recognized as not only valid, but sacramental as well, since both were baptized. If one or both were previously married and divorced, then their current marriage is considered invalid unless their previous marriage(s) are found to be null.

HTH.

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[Departed_Light]

If they were both free to marry (neither was married before and divorced) then, yes, their marriage is recognized as not only valid, but sacramental as well, since both were baptized. If one or both were previously married and divorced, then their current marriage is considered invalid unless their previous marriage(s) are found to be null.

HTH.

In Christ,

Ellen

Oh so not every married convert couple goes through a Catholic wedding? OK good to know.

If the previous marriage(s) are found to be null if the folks are previously divorced, then is their wedding within the Baptist Communion valid?

I hear about folks that convert and then get married in the church even though they are already married, with kids even. Is this sort of like a rededication rite? Or a renewing of vows?

 

[SpaceNeedle]

Oh so not every married convert couple goes through a Catholic wedding? OK good to know.

If the previous marriage(s) are found to be null if the folks are previously divorced, then is their wedding within the Baptist Communion valid?

I hear about folks that convert and then get married in the church even though they are already married, with kids even. Is this sort of like a rededication rite? Or a renewing of vows?

This happened to a family member. She, a lapsed Catholic, had married someone who was unbaptised, outside of the church, no dispensation. He converted through RCIA later, and they were technically “married” by the priest after he finished RCIA and was baptised.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I hear about folks that convert and then get married in the church even though they are already married, with kids even. Is this sort of like a rededication rite? Or a renewing of vows?

More likely there was a previous marriage involved for one of the parties.

Before someone could be received into the Church, the previous marriage would be investigated. If a declaration of nullity were issued for the previous marriage, then the couple could be married in the Catholic Church and the party wanting to convert would be able to do so.

 

[Phemie]

This happened to a family member. She, a lapsed Catholic, had married someone who was unbaptised, outside of the church, no dispensation. He converted through RCIA later, and they were technically “married” by the priest after he finished RCIA and was baptised.

They were not ‘technically’ married by the priest, they were married by him, period (or rather they married each other in the Church. It’s not a technicality: Before they did this their marriage was invalid.

 

[SpaceNeedle]

They were not ‘technically’ married by the priest, they were married by him, period (or rather they married each other in the Church. It’s not a technicality: Before they did this their marriage was invalid.

Well, yes, but they did have a family by this point, and we all picked “chicken or fish” at that big fancy reception.

For the nature of this thread, i.e. someone coming into the fold, I really don’t see the need to jump all over the notion of people’s marriages not being “real.” Those marriages were very valid and meaningful to them; their children were not illegitimate.

 

[Just_Lurking]

If the previous marriage(s) are found to be null if the folks are previously divorced, then is their wedding within the Baptist Communion valid?

Yes, after all previous marriages are found to be null, the Baptist wedding is then considered to be valid. This is why all previous marriages need to be annulled, not just the first marriage.

I hear about folks that convert and then get married in the church even though they are already married, with kids even. Is this sort of like a rededication rite? Or a renewing of vows?

No, it is an actual wedding. This happens when one of the parties was already Catholic, making the prior non-Catholic wedding invalid.

 

[JRKH]

Oh so not every married convert couple goes through a Catholic wedding? OK good to know.

If the previous marriage(s) are found to be null if the folks are previously divorced, then is their wedding within the Baptist Communion valid?

I hear about folks that convert and then get married in the church even though they are already married, with kids even. Is this sort of like a rededication rite? Or a renewing of vows?

Just to clarify the term you are looking for. When couple needs to have a marriage blessed by the church it is called a “convalidation”. One has ones marriage,“convalidated” by the Church.
We had to have our marriage convalidated upon our return to the Church.

Peace
James

 

[puzzleannie]

I hear about folks that convert and then get married in the church even though they are already married, with kids even. Is this sort of like a rededication rite? Or a renewing of vows?

It depends entirely on the validity of the marriage. If they were free to marry as non-Catholics, and neither party had been baptized Catholic so they were not bound to marry according to Catholic laws, then the marriage is presumably valid and there was no need for any kind of renewal of vows (which is not a Catholic practice in any case). More common is that one of the parties had been Catholic, and so the marriage needed to be convalidated when he returned to the Church and the other party entered the Church. The parishioners at large don’t need to know all the details of their situation, the priest preparing them takes care of it.