Divorce outside Catholic Church?

[aball1035]

So my parents were both non-Catholics when they got married in a non-Catholic wedding but then they divorced. About three years later my dad got remarried to another woman in the Catholic Church. My question is (knowing that marriage can never be dissolved until death), was the first marriage valid? If yes, then would my dad’s current marriage be immoral?

Any response will help

For Jesus through Mary,
Alex

 

[passus]

So my parents were both non-Catholics when they got married in a non-Catholic wedding but then they divorced. About three years later my dad got remarried to another woman in the Catholic Church. My question is (knowing that marriage can never be dissolved until death), was the first marriage valid? If yes, then would my dad’s current marriage be immoral?

Any response will help

For Jesus through Mary,
Alex

Well firstly, only a consummated marriage between two baptized people is indissoluble except by death. All non-sacramental marriages and marriages that have not been consummated are all at least potentially dissoluable. But knowing only what you posted about this situation, I’m not sure that applies.

A marriage between two non-Catholic people is valid in the eyes of the Church, so going just on what you’ve posted here, he would still be bound by the covenant of his prior marriage.

 

[LilyM]

Depends upon how the first marriage was done, I think, at least partly, as well as whether they were baptised in any faith.

If it was a civil wedding (in front of a judge or other non-religious celebrant) there’s more of a presumption that it wasn’t a valid marriage. Did your father discuss his previous marital history with the Catholic priest before his remarriage? If so, you can pretty safely assume that it was investigated and found to be invalid.

 

[tee_eff_em]

So my parents were both non-Catholics when they got married in a non-Catholic wedding but then they divorced. About three years later my dad got remarried to another woman

in the Catholic Church

. My question is (knowing that marriage can never be dissolved until death), was the first marriage valid?

:twocents:

If his second marriage was in the Catholic Church, and knowing nothing else than what you have written, I give the benefit of the doubt there was no impediment to the union.

tee

 

[Cluny]

Since this forum is not a marriage tribunal, it doesn’t matter what we say about his or any other marriage here.