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Bev17243
Guest
My husband and i were married in his church(Protestant). Now, that i want to convert to Catholic faith, is our marriage considered valid?
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GraceDK
Guest
Yes, your marriage is both valid and a sacrament
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Warrior1979
Guest
Generally, yes. There are few reasons that it might not be considered valid, the most common of which is a prior marriage by one of the parties.
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Tiberius1701
Guest
Also, assuming no prior marriage on either your part or your husband’s, it’s important to remember that the Church presumes that every marriage is valid. Don’t assume your own marriage is invalid - the Church doesn’t - so unless and until something major arises to make you question its validity and you have cause to bring the question to the Church (which I sincerely hope and pray never happens), rest in the peace of knowing you are in the relationship that God has called you to live out, and strive, with all your being and with the help of God, His Church, and the Sacraments, to nurture your marriage and to keep your husband’s eternal salvation as your most fervent goal.
God bless you and your husband, and may He preserve and protect you as you make your way home to the Catholic Church!
God bless you and your husband, and may He preserve and protect you as you make your way home to the Catholic Church!
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puzzleannie
Guest
Welcome Home
not enough info
it depends on the baptismal status of each party at the time the marriage was contracted, on whether either party had a previous bond, and current faith affiliation.
It is best that you set out all the facts in your initial interview with the priest when you begin RCIA, the process by which you will prepare to enter the Catholic Church. If neither of you were ever baptized CAtholic, and neither has a previous bond, then the Church presumes your marriage to be valid unless or until proven otherwise.
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DrPiano
Guest
Actually, the baptismal status of each party (current or past) only affects the sacramentality of the marriage, not the validity. And if one party was not baptized but has since been baptized, the marriage is considered sacramental as of that moment (requires both parties to be baptized for sacramentality since baptism is the gateway to all of the other sacraments). If neither party was Catholic, neither party was previously married, and neither party had another impediment to marriage, the Church presumes the marriage valid.
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puzzleannie
Guest
it affects both
if either party was baptized Catholic, and the marriage did not follow Catholic form, it is invalid.
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DrPiano
Guest
Ah yes, I read that in your original post after the fact. But when I originally read it I thought you were meaning “were they baptized or not” (that’s kind of how I read the phrase baptismal status). But you’ll see in my discussion of the validity, I include the caveat that neither were baptized Catholic.
So I think we really said the same thing.
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Tiberius1701
Guest
By the way, Bev, please do keep us informed of your progress toward Confirmation and of your husband’s faith journey so that we can all pray for you. 
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ajaffres
Guest
I can see why the question was asked, I am confused also. I am a confirmed catholic and my husband is a confirmed protestant. We were married in the protestant church (both for the first time) 14 years ago. I’ve only recently returned to the RC church and must meet my priest for Confession. I never converted to the Protestant faith, I never even joined the Church, only my husband was a member of that Church. Are you saying that our marriage is sacremental but invalid?
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Seatuck
Guest
Catholics are obligated to marry according to the teachings of the church. You did not do this. So no, the church would not see your marriage as either valid or sacramental. You will want to discuss this with the priest and make arrangements for convalidation.
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Phemie
Guest
A marriage can never be sacramental if it’s invalid.
A marriage must first be valid.
When valid, it is either** ‘sacramental’, meaning both parties are baptized ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’, or it is ‘natural’**, meaning that at least one of the parties is not baptized.
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ajaffres
Guest
thanks. I am meeting the priest on Wednesday. I hope he can help us sort it out.
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ajaffres
Guest
Well I met with the priest today and he did recommend convalidation to make the marriage sacramental, but did not say it was invalid. I was worried that my husband and I would need to be chaste until the convalidation, the priest said that as long as we have we started the procedure (giving him copies of our marriage certificates and our baptismal certificates) that we did not need to abstain from each other.
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