Is my marriage valid?

[mcam42]

Hello.

My wife and I came into the church 4 years ago. We were married 7 years ago by the pastor of the non-denominational protestant church we attended at the time.

When we married, I don’t think we really understood the true nature of marriage.

We thought: Divorce is not good, but is possible. Using contraception in your marriage is OK. It is probably OK to allow two men or two women to “marry” since their commitment probably wouldn’t hurt anyone. Etc…

The reporting on Pope Francis’ recent comments has me wondering about my marriage.

We did not understand the true nature of marriage, as taught by the Church, on our wedding day or for some time after. Only since we came into the Church have we come to understand and accept it.

Is our marriage valid?

Thank you

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Yes, your marriage is valid. As you said, you have come to understand and accept the Catholic teachings on marriage. This means that at some point you provided the appropriate informed consent to your marriage vows.

Most of what you listed would not have affected the validity of a marriage. Someone’s views on gay marriage and contraception do not affect validity of marriage. Even accepting divorce in theory or in general would not necessarily affect the validity of a marriage.