Is annulment still necessary if my ex's were not baptised and neither was I?

[MAINEGIRL2014]

Hello, I hope you can answer my complicated question:
I was married twice before and obtained legal divorces.
I was not married to Catholics.
My marriages were to unbaptized men (both Jews)
and I myself have not not baptized.
I would like to become Catholic but not to go through annulments.
Is annulment necessary where it is obvious the marriages were not sacramental,
as non of the parties were baptized at the time of marriage or afterwards?
I am now married to a third man.
He does not want to become Catholic.
However, he is supportive of me trying to become one.
He was married before to a Catholic but in a civil ceremony
(“lack of form”) and he is legally divorced.
I would like to take communion and be confirmed as a Catholic.
I spoke to my local priest and he said annulments of my 2 previous marriage
and of my current husband would be necessary,
but I found in the scriptures other exceptions to that rule…
Please provide me with the correct answer.
I wanted to start the RCIA but can’t do so unless I am able to complete the process
and become fully Catholic.
the priest did NOT ask me if my previous husbands were baptized.
Thank you.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

OK, we’ve got to define the words we’re using.

A valid marriage arises from the free mutual consent of a man and woman to enter into a life-long, faithful, procreative relationship… A valid marriage can either be natural or sacramental.

A sacramental marriage is entered into by two baptized persons. A sacramental marriage is indissoluble. An annulment does not dissolve or break apart a marriage, it declares that something was defective in the consent of either the man or woman or both.

If one or both parties of a marriage are unbaptized, they enter into a natural marriage. A natural marriage is not indissoluble. If there was something defective in someone’s consent, an annulment decree could show the marriage was never valid. However, even if it is a valid natural marriage it can be dissolved through either a Pauline or Petrine Privilege decree. These two decrees are based on the circumstances involved.

An annulment says no valid natural or sacramental marriage ever existed. A Pauline/Petrine Privilege dissolves a valid natural marriage.

Since you were never baptized, you entered into a natural marriage. A Pauline Privilege is for someone who is unbaptized who wishes to become baptized. You will be eligible for the Pauline Privilege under the following conditions:

1. You desire to be baptized and become a Catholic.
2. Your former spouse has not been baptized.
3. Your former spouse has no desire to reunite the marriage.

You are correct that your current civil husband did not enter into a valid marriage (lack for form) but he does need to prove that his first marriage was to a Catholic and was done outside of the Church. This would require obtaining the baptismal information of the Catholic party and showing the civil wedding information. This also is dependent on the grounds that the marriage was not later validated in the Church.

There is a clear path forward for you in the Church. You need to apply for the Pauline Privilege and your husband needs to apply for a lack of form decree.