Do we have a valid marraige?

[gspurr]

When we married in 1995, I was a baptised Protestant and my husband was unbaptised. We married in a Protestant church.

We have since both converted to Catholocism and my husband is baptized.

Is our marraige recognised given my husband was not baptized?

And if it is, could we still choose to have a covaledation to make our vows in the catholic church as part of our catholic journey together?

Thanks

 

[Tantum_ergo]

When we married in 1995, I was a baptised Protestant and my husband was unbaptised. We married in a Protestant church.

We have since both converted to Catholocism and my husband is baptized.

Is our marraige recognised given my husband was not baptized?

And if it is, could we still choose to have a covaledation to make our vows in the catholic church as part of our catholic journey together?

Thanks

Hello.

I would suggest that you talk to your priest.

As a lay Catholic with average knowledge, it would seem to me that since Catholic teaching is that Protestants and other non-Catholics (including ‘unbaptized’ people, Jews, Muslims etc.) who enter marriage (this is yours and your husband’s first marriage each, correct? ) able to marry are in fact validly married, that you and your husband are indeed married in the eyes of God and the Church. If you are now both baptized and both Catholics, again, from my understanding, you could have a convalidation and thus receive also in your valid marriage (which would not be made ‘more valid’ since it is already valid) the sacramental graces bestowed on Catholics in the sacrament of marriage.

But again, talk to your priest as I am only a lay person giving an opinion on what you have told me which may not be complete and for which only a priest would be able to give you authoritative teaching based on full knowledge of your situation.

God bless.

 

[Corki]

When we married in 1995, I was a baptised Protestant and my husband was unbaptised. We married in a Protestant church.

We have since both converted to Catholocism and my husband is baptized.

Is our marraige recognised given my husband was not baptized?

And if it is, could we still choose to have a covaledation to make our vows in the catholic church as part of our catholic journey together?

Thanks

As Tantum Ergo said, you really need to talk to a priest. However, it may be helpful to remember that validity is entirely based on the conditions that were in place at the time of the marriage. What happens later does not change the validity of a marriage (either way). So if your marriage was valid before you converted, it is valid now.

 

[Phemie]

The Church recognized your marriage as valid before you converted. It was a valid natural marriage while your husband was unbaptized; once he was baptized your marriage became a sacramental marriage and you both received all the graces that go with that sacrament.

The Church has a rite for renewal of vows and you may certainly do that, as many couples do to mark an anniversary or another special moment, but it will not be a convalidation.

 

[Kathryn_Ann]

When we married in 1995, I was a baptised Protestant and my husband was unbaptised. We married in a Protestant church.

We have since both converted to Catholocism and my husband is baptized.

Is our marraige recognised given my husband was not baptized?

And if it is, could we still choose to have a covaledation to make our vows in the catholic church as part of our catholic journey together?

Thanks

:heaven:
Welcome to The Faith and congratulations on your beginning the journey within a Catholic marriage! I also agree with the other posters: Talk to a priest, but yes, I think it is valid, All blessings to you!:harp:
Kathryn Ann

 

[Phemie]

One thing to keep in mind: If the Church had considered you to be in an invalid marriage you wouldn’t have been allowed to convert without rectifying that.