How a Priest Responded When Asked, What If God Doesn't Recognize the Church's Annulment of a Marriage?

[mdgspencer]

see rcspirituality.org/ask-priest-god-doesnt-recognize-annulment/

In his answer this priest said “Moreover, the Church has officially ruled in this case with the decree of nullity. ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me,’ Jesus said (Luke 10:16).
Jesus gave authority to the Church in part to be able to pronounce on matters such as this. It guards the sacraments, after all, and can decide when a sacrament has been carried out and when it hasn’t.”

 

[NeedImprovement]

see rcspirituality.org/ask-priest-god-doesnt-recognize-annulment/

In his answer this priest said “Moreover, the Church has officially ruled in this case with the decree of nullity. ‘Whoever listens to you listens to me,’ Jesus said (Luke 10:16).
Jesus gave authority to the Church in part to be able to pronounce on matters such as this. It guards the sacraments, after all, and can decide when a sacrament has been carried out and when it hasn’t.”

It would appear to go hand in hand with what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew:

*Matt 16:19 (NAB)
*
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Matt 18:18 (NAB)

Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Although apostolic succession cannot totally guard against individuals who would abuse the provisions set in Church law , we can see how without apostolic succession, a declaration of nullity would have very little, if no, binding (unbinding) force. . .because it couldn’t be based on any type of substantial foundation. IOW any institution which has departed from the authority which Christ conferred on his Apostles , cannot claim to have that same authority any longer. It is one of the wounds brought about by division.

 

[EasterJoy]

The main thing is that the faithful can feel safe trusting what their pastors tell them. If some leaders among the Church entrusted to safeguard the sacraments were to be unfaithful, it is on the their head, not on the members of the faithful who took them for their word, provided of course the faithful did so in good faith (as in, didn’t bribe a tribunal to get the result wanted).

 

[DarkLight]

The main thing is that the faithful can feel safe trusting what their pastors tell them. If some leaders among the Church entrusted to safeguard the sacraments were to be unfaithful, it is on the their head, not on the members of the faithful who took them for their word, provided of course the faithful did so in good faith (as in, didn’t bribe a tribunal to get the result wanted).

Yes. Someone who is unaware that they are in an invalid marriage does not commit a sin, assuming they act in good faith and have reason to believe they are in a valid marriage.