In God's Grace or adultery?

[trustingJesus]

In talking with a friend who is now going through RCIA (yeah), she has posed some very interesting questions. She was raise a Lutheran and baptized. She was planning to be confirmed and join the Catholic faith this Easter Vigil but discovered that her husband who is a non-practicing Catholic and is divorced but not annulled and therefore she is now not allowed to join the faith. BTW – in her efforts, she was told even though she was married in the Lutheran Church, because she was not Catholic, she didn’t need to apply for an annulment. But because her husband didn’t get an annulment she can’t join the faith and neither can receive the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist. I understand this but have a person concern. I too am divorced, but had my marriage annulled. I met a wonderful woman and she went through the RCIA program. We had planned to get married the summer after she completed the RCIA program, but when we went to arrange the mass for the marriage sacrament, we were turned down. She had been married before in a Protestant Church, again never Catholic. But because she never went through an annulment process we couldn’t get married. She has started the annulment process but we decided to have a civil marriage. So I have two questions. First, why does a Lutheran marriage and divorce not require an annulment but a Protestant marriage and divorce does require an annulment? They were both Baptized. Secondly, am I commenting adultery by being married before she completes her annulment and therefore shouldn’t be receiving the Eucharist during mass? Funny thing is that this thought never crossed my mind until I was evangelizing my friend who is going through the RCIA. I feel closer to God than I have in my past and yet if this is adultery or mortal sin, then these feelings are fraudulent and that really scares me. I truly believe God is a forgiving God and I don’t want to do anything to separate me from Abba. So am I?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

First, why does a Lutheran marriage and divorce not require an annulment but a Protestant marriage and divorce does require an annulment? They were both Baptized.

The RCIA team is wrong. Only Catholics are required to be married in the Catholic Church. **Anytime **two nonCatholics get married it is a valid marriage. If she was a baptized nonCatholic married to a baptized nonCatholic then they are presumed to be in a valid sacramental marriage unless proven otherwise (i.e. annulment). The only way she wouldn’t need an annulment is if she married a Catholic outside the Catholic Church.

Secondly, am I commenting adultery by being married before she completes her annulment and therefore shouldn’t be receiving the Eucharist during mass?

I can’t say whether its adultery since if the prior marriage is annulled that would mean she was never validly married. However, as a Catholic civilly married outside the Catholic Church you would be in what’s called an “irregular marriage.” Catholics in irregular marriages should not receive communion until their marriage is validated in the Church.