How do Catholics admit divorced people?

[lanman87]

Let’s say someone was raised Catholic but fell away from the church, got married, had a couple of kids and then the couple decided they weren’t in love anymore and couldn’t get along and got a divorce.

Then years later the person got remarried, had a couple more kids but then at some point fell under conviction, agreed/realized that divorce and re-marriage is a sin, and wanted to be reconciled to the church.

If this person returned to the church and spoke with a Priest, confessing their sin and asking for reconciliation, what would it take for them to be received back into the church? Being that they are in a second marriage and have children from both the first and second marriage.

 

[BroIgnatius]

If this person returned to the church and spoke with a Priest, confessing their sin and asking for reconciliation, what would it take for them to be received back into the church? Being that they are in a second marriage and have children from both the first and second marriage.

What the couple must do is apply for an annulment of the previous marriage. (Or other similar procedures depending on whether or not the non-Catholic spouse is Christian.)

Once an annulment is granted, the couple may have their marriage regularized/blessed in the Catholic Church. The person may then be in full communion with the Church and fully enjoy the Sacramental life.

 

[phil19034]

Let’s say someone was raised Catholic but fell away from the church, got married, had a couple of kids and then the couple decided they weren’t in love anymore and couldn’t get along and got a divorce.

Then years later the person got remarried, had a couple more kids but then at some point fell under conviction, agreed/realized that divorce and re-marriage is a sin, and wanted to be reconciled to the church.

If this person returned to the church and spoke with a Priest, confessing their sin and asking for reconciliation, what would it take for them to be received back into the church? Being that they are in a second marriage and have children from both the first and second marriage.

Depends on what you mean by “received back into the Church”? They can come to Mass and will be 100% welcomed. To receive communion, the divorce person must apply for an annulment.

God Bless

 

[BroIgnatius]

lanman87:

If this person returned to the church and spoke with a Priest, confessing their sin and asking for reconciliation, what would it take for them to be received back into the church? Being that they are in a second marriage and have children from both the first and second marriage.

Depends on what you mean by “received back into the Church”?

The phrase “received back into the Church” means only one thing – to be received back into full communion with the Church. Anyone can visit a Mass and be welcomed, but that is not reception, that is, received back into the Church.

 

[phil19034]

phil19034:

lanman87:

If this person returned to the church and spoke with a Priest, confessing their sin and asking for reconciliation, what would it take for them to be received back into the church? Being that they are in a second marriage and have children from both the first and second marriage.

Depends on what you mean by “received back into the Church”?

The phrase “received back into the Church” means only one thing – to be received back into full communion with the Church. Anyone can visit a Mass and be welcomed, but that is not reception, that is, received back into the Church.

yes, and it’s a phrase I think we should drop. Everyone is received into the welcoming arms of the Church. But not everyone is welcome to receive communion.

I think the problem we have today is that many people consider “membership” to mean you can receive communion. So they feel, if I can’t receive communion then I’m not welcomed and should go else where or say home.

That’s far from the Truth.

What we should be doing is creating an environment where people do not feel judged for staying in their pews during communion time. That would eliminate people receiving who should not be, and make people who are bared from communion not feeling left out.

Personally, I think if the Church were to restore the 3 hour fast, it would help big time. Then people won’t feel so self conscience about not going up for communion. As far as anyone would be concerned, they ate 2 hours before Mass.

God Bless

 

[Gertabelle]

Let’s say someone was raised Catholic but fell away from the church, got married, had a couple of kids and then the couple decided they weren’t in love anymore and couldn’t get along and got a divorce.

If this “someone” was raised Catholic, left the Church, and then got married, I am assuming they were not married in the Catholic Church?

The first step back depends on the person – maybe it’s attending mass, or perhaps making an examination of conscience and going to confession.

But a phone call to the parish office to make an appointment to speak with a priest or deacon is definitely in order. They have heard it ALL, and will be able to help you sort out what needs to be done with regards to previous and current marriages.

God bless you!

 

[TheLittleLady]

Not quite.

Assuming that Divorced/Remarried Person wants to return to the Sacraments, they sit down with their pastor, make a good confession and then live as brother and sister with their current legal spouse.

The divorced person may then ask the Tribunal to review the first marriage to see if it was valid. Should they find grounds and the Tribunal determine the attempt at marriage was invalid, they will issue a decree of Nullity.

Should that decree be issued and should the current legal spouse have no impediments to marriage, that couple will begin the process to have their legal marriage made valid in the Church. There are two different methods for this, the pastor will assist in determining what course is best.

Once they are validly married they may resume conjugal relations.

The children from each marriage/attempt at marriage are to be loved and cherished.

 

[Rau]

Once they are validly married they may resume conjugal relations.

If the Tribunal is unable to conclude that the first marriage is invalid, the situation is more complex. They may resolve to live as brother and sister or embark the discernment process set out in AL.

 

[BlackFriar]

Not quite.
Both marriages are likely invalid and an annulment may not be required! The current marriage though needs to be regularised if possible. Communion is not possible if sexually active until it is regularised.

But what he really needs to do is talk it all over with the PP rather than listen to us amateurs.

But what is correct is that he can start getting involved in the Church immediately if he is a baptised Catholic as he never left.
Confession first though for sins committed if repentant.

 

[BroIgnatius]

That is what I said, TheLittleLady. You were just more detailed. I was trying to avoid the technical details.

 

[BroIgnatius]

embark the discernment process set out in AL.

AL does not supplant the Tribunal. ALs implications are invalid according to Church teachings and previous popes (eg, John-Paul II) Personal conscience cannot overrule Church teachings.

This is all in controversy, but I will stay with the Church and her infallible teachings on marriage

 

[Rau]

AL does not supplant the Tribunal.

That’s correct. So there’ll be no catholic church wedding for a person who has previously attempted marriage and does not have the benefit of a declaration of nullity.

As for the rest of your post, I’ll leave that to those fighting the AL wars.

 

[BroIgnatius]

BroIgnatius:

AL does not supplant the Tribunal.

As for the rest of your post, I’ll leave that to those fighting the AL wars.

a wise decision.

 

[Vico]

…
If this person returned to the church and spoke with a Priest, confessing their sin and asking for reconciliation, what would it take for them to be received back into the church? Being that they are in a second marriage and have children from both the first and second marriage.

So if there was no formal defection from the Catholic Church ever, then the person has had two invalid attempts to marry and is still Catholic. There also must be repentance from attempting marriage without Catholic Church approval. Separation from the current spouse and proper sacramental confession would allow for reception of other sacraments. Another is using the tribunal to achieve a Catholic convalidation, instead of separation.

 

[PHXsunsAZ]

I’m going through this right now. It’s not a big deal, getting an annulment that is. If you were never married in the church technically you were never married to begin with. I got divorced and remarried outside of the church but decided to do it the right way. To give you an idea of the time involved, we started to process about a month ago and we should be on track for a Feb wedding.

 

[Gorgias]

I’m going through this right now. It’s not a big deal, getting an annulment that is. If you were never married in the church technically you were never married to begin with. I got divorced and remarried outside of the church but decided to do it the right way. To give you an idea of the time involved, we started to process about a month ago and we should be on track for a Feb wedding.

Be careful, though: nullity proceedings are, as it were, a legal process. What holds in one case may not hold in another. If the OP’s theoretical example is a Catholic who got married outside of the Church’s process for marriage, then you might be in the right ballpark for the amount of time for the nullity (since it would be a documentary process and not a full proceeding).

However, some who “fall away from the Church” do, actually, get married in the Church – because Mom or Grandma really wanted them to do so, and even if they no longer practice their faith, they go through a Church wedding to honor their family members. For these people, a quick “documentary process” nullity is not an option, since the marriage is putatively valid.

So… just be careful with the advice – your experience might be very different from those to whom you speak!

 

[PHXsunsAZ]

Looks like I was pretty specific saying “married outside of the church”. Obviously it’s different if you were married in the church, I thought that was pretty much common knowledge of the difficulty involved with the later.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Defect of form cases are not “an annulment”. They are paperwork cases that take at the most 6 weeks.

May God bless you as you prepare for your convalidation.

 

[Gorgias]

Looks like I was pretty specific saying “married outside of the church”.

Yes, you were. The OP didn’t make that distinction, however.

Obviously it’s different if you were married in the church, I thought that was pretty much common knowledge of the difficulty involved with the later.

Here’s the thing, though: it’s also possible to get permission to marry in a place other than a Catholic church (e.g., a non-Catholic Christian church or chapel, or the place of worship of another faith group). With permission, that marriage would be considered valid, too.

When people say “married in the Catholic Church”, they think “married in a Catholic church building”… but that’s not what the phrase means. It means “married in the [form prescribed] in the Catholic Church”. So, as I said – be careful in the advice you give…

 

[Gertabelle]

Defect of form cases are not “an annulment”. They are paperwork cases that take at the most 6 weeks.

May God bless you as you prepare for your convalidation.

When I sent in my documents to the Tribunal for review (married in a civil ceremony, and then divorced), the document they sent me was called a “Decree of Nullity.”