Marriage Between Two Catholics Before a Priest - Not Valid in the Church

[Phemie]

The priest seemed to think that because he performed the marriage in the rectory, it was not “in the Church.” I don’t see it that way, but he’s the priest, not me. Still, priests make mistakes. They are human.

I think in this case the priest meant “the church” and not “the Church”. Sometimes couples were not allowed to marry in the church building but had to be married in the sacristy or the rectory. That didn’t make their marriage any less valid. Most of those I know of were marrying non-Catholics, but the situation with your sister, where she’d married civilly and was divorced might make a priest in those days refuse them marriage in the church proper but it would be a valid marriage nonetheless.

 

[CradleRC58]

The only definitive answer you will get is from the Judicial Vicar and Head of the Metropolitan Tribunal of your Archdiocese.