If spouse dies can surviving spouse get remarried?

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Yes.

But it’s generally considered good form to bury the dead spouse first. 😛
 
chionactis said:
But, please clarify:
we can only remarry if the other person (we want to marry) has never been married
OR
the other person is a widow/widower as well
RIGHT??
we cannot remarry someone who has been divorced - unless that person has an annulment.
RIGHT??
Thank you.
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Yes to all of the above.

I assist with LOTS of wedding preparations in my parish. Basically the term for the issue at hand is called “prior bond.” When someone wants to enter into a marriage, it must first be established whether or not the bride and/or groom is free to get married, and this includes seeing whether or not there is a prior bond (which inhibits that person from contracting a valid marriage). Prior bond includes already being married to someone else, and the former spouse in question is still living (i.e., there is a prior marriage “bond” to another person).

The Church recognizes that when people exchange marriage vows, they stipulate “until death do us part” (or words to that effect). Therefore, the death of a spouse severs the sacramental bond of marriage, freeing the surviving spouse to enter into another marriage.

If a widow or widower wants to marry again, they naturally do not need an annulment for their former marriage. One only need to provide the priest with a death certificate concerning ones deceased spouse.

Incidentally, prior bond issues also includes priests and religious because they have taken holy vows to be celibate. In this case, the bond is to their vow (and, by extension, God).
 
TimothyKennedy said:
So, we won’t be able to share our love for each other we had in our time on Earth? Will my parents no longer be my parents? Will our ties of blood be broken? I hope I’m misinterpreting this, I don’t want to lose my family once in Heaven. And once in Heaven, will I even be “me” still? Will I have the same personality I do I have on Earth? Will I enjoy watching great debates, films, and music in Heaven? This is kinda branching off into a different question, but a huge fear I have is that I will lose my identity in Heaven. Can I enjoy worldly pleasures such as literature or entertainment?
Also, I have been doing some research and studying for my AP Psychology class and the topic of “The Self” came up. It’s clear that our brain directly affects who we are, what makes us unique, and differentiates all of us. Once we lose our brain, we are left with our soul, what’s going to happen to what we were on Earth?
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Mattapoisett64 said:
Quite true, Holy Orders – which a deacon receives - being a canonical impediment to marriage. Also, while the conditions listed in Post # 3 may be true for an Eastern Rite sui juris church, I believe in the Latin rite there is now far more rigor – and far fewer dispensations granted – for diaconal remarriage following the death of a spouse. Such a dispensation would never, I believe, be automatic, and would be granted only in a pretty exceptional circumstance now.

Our diocese won’t even accept as aspirants to diaconate formation anyone with children younger than high school. I can’t image that elderly parents or “valued service” would enter into the considerations. However, if a deacon needs to devote care to his parents, I’m sure he would be allowed to suspend his ministerial duties.
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Is there any other basis for Deacons not being allowed to remarry other than the one verse that says “he must be the husband of one wife” because I would think that is an obvious statement banning polygamy not remarriage or are their other writings or documents on this? I’ve always been curious.

Lorrie
 
Irishgal49 said:
Is there any other basis for Deacons not being allowed to remarry other than the one verse that says “he must be the husband of one wife” because I would think that is an obvious statement banning polygamy not remarriage or are their other writings or documents on this? I’ve always been curious.

Lorrie
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The basis is Canon Law, specifically (and I can’t at this moment cite the paragraph) the fact that Holy Orders is an impediment, in the Latin Rite, to validly contracting matrimony.
 
Irishgal49 said:
Is there any other basis for Deacons not being allowed to remarry other than the one verse that says “he must be the husband of one wife” because I would think that is an obvious statement banning polygamy not remarriage or are their other writings or documents on this? I’ve always been curious.

Lorrie
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It’s not that verse that is the reason.

Celibacy is a discipline of the Church. She does not allow priests and deacons to marry. They may be married and then ordained (think Anglican priest who converts and is ordained) but once ordained they cannot marry or, if widowed, remarry.
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
The basis is Canon Law, specifically (and I can’t at this moment cite the paragraph) the fact that Holy Orders is an impediment, in the Latin Rite, to validly contracting matrimony.
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Oh that’s right–I guess it was too obvious, LOL
 
Phemie said:
It’s not that verse that is the reason.

Celibacy is a discipline of the Church. She does not allow priests and deacons to marry. They may be married and then ordained (think Anglican priest who converts and is ordained) but once ordained they cannot marry or, if widowed, remarry.
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Ok that makes sense, I just wondered about the reason thanks for the clarification. So if the Church changes it stance on celibate priests, then would that mean Deacons could remarry?
 
Tarpeian_Rock said:
The basis is Canon Law, specifically (and I can’t at this moment cite the paragraph) the fact that Holy Orders is an impediment, in the Latin Rite, to validly contracting matrimony.
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Holy Orders is a canonical impediment to marriage in the Eastern Catholic Churches as well. As far as dispensations for widowed deacons, I don’t know if they are reserved to the Holy See, or can be granted by the local ordinary, but in the case of priests, I’m certain that they are reserved to the Holy See. In some cases, priests have petitioned the Holy See for laicization and a dispensation to marry. Such requests have, in some cases, been granted.
 
Irishgal49 said:
Ok that makes sense, I just wondered about the reason thanks for the clarification. So if the Church changes it stance on celibate priests, then would that mean Deacons could remarry?
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The Latin Rite Church could change its stance but she has never permitted priests and deacons to marry although married men were ordained until the 1100s. None of the other Rites allow priests to marry although they ordain married men.
 
Irishgal49 said:
Ok that makes sense, I just wondered about the reason thanks for the clarification. So if the Church changes it stance on celibate priests, then would that mean Deacons could remarry?
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No. If the Church changes its discipline and permits married men to be ordained as priests, that would not involve changing the canon that makes the sacrament of Holy Orders an impediment to contracting marriage.
 
Phemie said:
The Latin Rite Church could change its stance but she has never permitted priests and deacons to marry although married men were ordained until the 1100s. None of the other Rites allow priests to marry although they ordain married men.
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Yes, there is the technicality that a man who is already a Priest in another Rite may not marry. However, a married man being allowed to become a Priest is a much diffeent discipline than a man who must remain celibate his whole life if he wishes to be a Priest.
 
To summarize: The order in which the sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony are received matters.
 
RyanBlack said:
No. If the Church changes its discipline and permits married men to be ordained as priests, that would not involve changing the canon that makes the sacrament of Holy Orders an impediment to contracting marriage.
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Oh OK so then they would have to be married before ordination…just wondered. Thanks for the great answers.
 
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