If you want your marriage to be recognized by The Church, yes. You should also be prepared to hear that you don’t qualify for an annulment. Please speak to your pastor about all this. Annulments can cause a lot of hurt feelings and I don’t want you to be hurt by getting mis-info.http://www.coolsmilies.net/happy/sq_smile1.gifOkay here’s what’s going on. I am Catholic. My fiance isn’t Catholic and his ex wife wasn’t Catholic. They were married by a judge, not in a church. Do my fiance and I really need to go through an annulment process even though his previous marriage had nothing to do with the Catholic church?
You don’t, since you do not mention a prior Marriage for you. The person you wish to Marry will need to have his marriage looked into to see if it was valid or not. At this time the Catholic Church would assume that he is validly Married to his first wife until proven otherwise.Okay here’s what’s going on. I am Catholic. My fiance isn’t Catholic and his ex wife wasn’t Catholic. They were married by a judge, not in a church. Do my fiance and I really need to go through an annulment process even though his previous marriage had nothing to do with the Catholic church?
It would mean that you would not be allowed to Marry someone who is still considered Married to someone else by the Church. If you choose to continue the adulterous relationship you would be barred from receiving the Sacraments.So if we don’t qualify for an annulment what does that mean? We can’t get married in the church or we can just plan it like a normal wedding in the church?
Yes, non-Catholic marriages are valid.Okay here’s what’s going on. I am Catholic. My fiance isn’t Catholic and his ex wife wasn’t Catholic. They were married by a judge, not in a church. Do my fiance and I really need to go through an annulment process even though his previous marriage had nothing to do with the Catholic church?
If HE is found to not have grounds for a decree of nullity, it means he is still married to his first wife-- until death do they part.So if we don’t qualify for an annulment what does that mean?
It means he is **married **and you cannot marry him, period. To attempt to marry him outside the Church is a mortal sin.We can’t get married in the church or we can just plan it like a normal wedding in the church?
It might.Would it make a difference if her finace wasn’t baptized?
An unbaptized person may attend church. If this person was previously married, they need to talk to their priest about their individual circumstances.I just ask, because I have an un-baptized friend wanting to attend church…
For non-Catholics, yes it is.Also, is a civil marriage valid?
A civil marriage is valid and sacramental if it involves two baptized, non-Catholics who are otherwise free to marry (no prior marriage, etc).I think that’s what is confusing to OP, she thinks that maybe a civil marriage is not sacramental.
Mapper, non-baptized persons can contract marriage validly. I really suggest you get the book I mentioned.Oh yeah I could add that too. My fiance never was baptized either. That’s why it’s so hard to believe that we have to go through all this when he was never baptized, isn’t Catholic and was married in a civil ceremony.
He needs to talk to a priest.Let me add this to the mix as well. My fiance’s ex was married before she married him and my fiance was never baptized. She was baptized Episcopalian.
“The Church looks at any marriage outside of the Church between non-Catholics as valid.”The Church looks at any marriage outside of the Church between non-Catholics as valid. The problem comes when there are Catholics involved. As stated, it would seem that you, as a Catholic, are not free to marry this person and still remain in the grace of the Church and God.
As stated, you need to talk to your priest, who will help you understand.
Here is a very interesting link about a situation very close to yours:
geocities.com/seapadre_1999/noncatholicannulment.html
I do have one more question - are you sure you want to marry a non Catholic? There are untold problems facing you in the future, especially concerning your children. Please give this careful thought and prayer.
Mary
That is a much more accurate statement, and I stand corrected.“The Church looks at any marriage outside of the Church between non-Catholics as valid.”
That is a very misleading statement. The Catholic Church assumes that all Marriages outside the Catholic Church between non-Catholics are valid until proven otherwise.