Do invalid marriages need an annulment to be ended

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Ploppy

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If a Catholic enters into an invalid marriage (married in a city hall to a non Christian), does he/she need an annulment to end the marriage?
 
In this case, it wouldn’t be a decree of nullity, because the marriage never existed in the Church’s eyes. In most dioceses, this lack of form is handled through the Tribunal; in some, through a parish. It’s an administrative filing, not an annulment process – and generally takes very little time. It requires proof of baptism, the marriage certificate showing it was not a Catholic wedding, and a divorce decree.
 
Ploppy said:
If a Catholic enters into an invalid marriage (married in a city hall to a non Christian), does he/she need an annulment to end the marriage?
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If a Catholic married outside Catholic form without dispensation, there is no presumption of validity. After they divorce, in the US, Canada, and some other places there is an administrative paperwork process that the person needs to do for declaration of freedom to marry. In other countries, there is no administrative process.

The administrative process is paperwork, not a decree of nullity. There is no tribunal case.
 
When you say “married to a non Christian”…that could mean that person was never baptized…that is a whole different process…that Catholic needs to talk to a priest or canon lawyer.
 
Peebo said:
When you say “married to a non Christian”…that could mean that person was never baptized…that is a whole different process…that Catholic needs to talk to a priest or canon lawyer.
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Yes, they do need to talk to their priest.

However, it is not a “whole different process”. Whether a Catholic attempts marriage outside of Catholic form without dispensation to a Catholic, baptized non-Catholic, or non-baptized person, it is the same administrative process.
 
Just to clear up any confusion:

There are three different ways that the tribunal can proceed (apart from obviously rejecting the initial petition in the first place). The process depends on the situation.
  1. A defect that can be proven “on paper” is present. This would include cases such as people being too closely related, one person having a prior bond of marriage, or a Catholic marrying outside the faith without dispensation. In these cases all that’s required is paperwork.
  2. A defect MAY be present, but it cannot be proven “on paper”. This is the case for many situations. This requires a formal nullity trial with interviews and witnesses.
  3. Pauline and Petrine (Favour of the Faith) cases. These are cases where it is possible for a valid but non-sacramental (i.e. one or both parties never baptized) marriage to be dissolved through the marriage of one person to a third party. @acanonlawyer can provide more detail on this than I can.
 
The Tribunal reviews the documents in a shorter, clerical process.
 
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