F
flowers74
Guest
Hi. I have a question. Would the Catholic Church consider our marriage valid?
My husband was raised Catholic, baptised Catholic.
I was raised and baptised Presbyterian.
When we met, we dated a couple months before getting engaged. I wanted to wait at least 2 years before marrying so he could meet family and a proper wedding could be planned. He tried to force me into premarital intimacy, of which I declined. He kept persisting until I finally had to push him off me. I almost broke up with him at that point but didn’t. I thought it was all my fault.
He tried to get me to marry him in 2 months. I said no at first but he kept persisting. Finally I said OK. Then he tried to get me to marry him in 2 wks time. Again I said no but he kept persisting. Then he said, “Well if you don’t marry me, no one will have you. If you don’t marry me then you are causing me to sin by burning in passion. If you don’t marry me in 2 weeks then I can’t be your friend anymore. I won’t even talk to you.” I was foolish, being only 21 and newly away from home. Our relationship was so suffocating that all my relationships with family and friends had been effectively cut off. So, fearing that I would be all alone, I said OKay to the marriage in two weeks. We eloped with no friends or family present.
Well, for some reason, that night when we tried to consummate the marriage, I felt very uneasy about it. I felt like I was fornicating or something. But over time I was able to ignore that.
So, according to the Catholic Church, would this be considered a valid marriage or invalid. We have 5 kids. There has been much emotional abuse, some physical abuse, and much forced sex all throughout much of the marriage but the worst of it has happened in the past 3 years. I am looking to divorce him. I am considering joining the Catholic church as well. I have been searching for years and feel that is the right thing. Would like to know the Church’s stand on this. Thanks.
My husband was raised Catholic, baptised Catholic.
I was raised and baptised Presbyterian.
When we met, we dated a couple months before getting engaged. I wanted to wait at least 2 years before marrying so he could meet family and a proper wedding could be planned. He tried to force me into premarital intimacy, of which I declined. He kept persisting until I finally had to push him off me. I almost broke up with him at that point but didn’t. I thought it was all my fault.
He tried to get me to marry him in 2 months. I said no at first but he kept persisting. Finally I said OK. Then he tried to get me to marry him in 2 wks time. Again I said no but he kept persisting. Then he said, “Well if you don’t marry me, no one will have you. If you don’t marry me then you are causing me to sin by burning in passion. If you don’t marry me in 2 weeks then I can’t be your friend anymore. I won’t even talk to you.” I was foolish, being only 21 and newly away from home. Our relationship was so suffocating that all my relationships with family and friends had been effectively cut off. So, fearing that I would be all alone, I said OKay to the marriage in two weeks. We eloped with no friends or family present.
Well, for some reason, that night when we tried to consummate the marriage, I felt very uneasy about it. I felt like I was fornicating or something. But over time I was able to ignore that.
So, according to the Catholic Church, would this be considered a valid marriage or invalid. We have 5 kids. There has been much emotional abuse, some physical abuse, and much forced sex all throughout much of the marriage but the worst of it has happened in the past 3 years. I am looking to divorce him. I am considering joining the Catholic church as well. I have been searching for years and feel that is the right thing. Would like to know the Church’s stand on this. Thanks.