Help with understanding radical sanation and impediment of disparity of worship?

[AlwaysAsking]

Hello,
I don’t want to assume I understand these terms! I am a candidate looking to enter the Church, with the following challenge:

-Husband is lapsed Catholic, and opposed to my conversion. Currently, I attend mass and then join my family at a nondenominational church.
-He will not allow our children to be raised in Catholic faith (I haven’t tried to negotiate yet, I’m still trying to keep the waters calm!)

-I have been advised that I can get his first marriage annulled (lack of form) without his cooperation.
-However, our marriage is also considered invalid, and my husband would not participate in a convalidation.

Is a radical sanation possible? Does a dispensation for disparity of worship apply in this instance?

I really, really believe that the Holy Spirit is calling me the the Church and the Eucharist. What will this look like, if I can’t be accepted into the church? What is the technical status of someone who can attend mass, but never enter into the church?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Yes, it may well be possible for you to obtain a radical sanation and validate your marriage. Talk to your pastor about these issues. There sounds like no reason that you could not enter the Church. You could be an example for your husband and children. His heart may soften with time and prayer.

 

[Gorgias]

-However, our marriage is also considered invalid, and my husband would not participate in a convalidation.

Is a radical sanation possible?

This is precisely one of the cases in which a radical sanation is envisioned – one party is unwilling to go through a new wedding with a new act of consent (although it’s typically the non-Catholic who is the unwilling party!).

Does a dispensation for disparity of worship apply in this instance?

If your sanation occurs following your entry into the Church, then no, it doesn’t; the dispensation allows a Catholic to marry an unbaptized person. Once you are received into the Church, no dispensation is necessary.

As Paul mentioned, it would be wise to speak with your priest.

 

[phil19034]

Talk with you priest, but in theory, you should be able to receive the Radical Sanation once the Lack of Form is completed.

Since your husband is a (lapsed) Catholic, he is considered Catholic so a dispensation will not be needed (but they are pretty easy to get anyway)

NOTE about Radical Sanations from personal experience:

Don’t be surprised if the priest isn’t sure how to do one. Some priests have been priests for 50 years and have never been involved in one. They will know about it in generalities, but may not know what specifically they need to do. When I spoke to my priest about it, he thought he could do it himself because he didn’t see anything on the marriage paperwork. I then asked him to double check with the Archdiocese because I thought it was odd that there wouldn’t be paperwork since the Church documents everything. He called and then learned that it was a totally different set of paperwork, which the parish didn’t have on file. We were then able to complete the Radical Sanation essay questions (interview based questions) and file give to the Archbishop for approval.

If your priest is clueless regarding what needs to be done, the diocese can help him. Each diocese has a process, which might (like in my Archdiocese) be separate from the regular marriage paper and dispensation paperwork that they normally deal with.

It’s a very easy process, but most priests will ask that you wait a little while to make sure your husband doesn’t have a change of heart first (without damaging your marriage). The Radical Sanation is meant to be done only in rare situations, which is why it’s “radical.”

If you have any personal questions, please feel free to PM me.

God Bless!

 

[AlwaysAsking]

Thanks, from my heart, to Phil, Gorgias and Paul.

You have been helpful and encouraging!

 

[Casilda]

I really, really believe that the Holy Spirit is calling me the the Church and the Eucharist. What will this look like, if I can’t be accepted into the church? What is the technical status of someone who can attend mass, but never enter into the church?

There are actually a lot of Catholics who attend but can not receive communion. Sadly there are even more, like your husband who do not even bother attending because of some issue with a divorce or a teaching, and because of lack of pastoral care, lack of priests these people never are reconciled with the church.

Pray for your husband. Take it one day at a time. I hope you have an attentive priest who is not too busy. Your husband’s soul is at stake. I wish you well on your journey.