Marriage question

[Jenniepanda1]

Good morning,
I have a question regarding marriage and annulment. I am a newly baptized and confirmed Catholic. Prior to joining the Catholic Church I was married and divorced. I did not remarry. I know that should I choose to, I would need to obtain an annulment. However, my question is this. If I choose to remarry the Same person, my prior husband, do I still need an annulment? In the church’s and God’s eyes we are still married so I’m not sure. I intend to ask my priest about it more closely, but I am wondering in the meantime. My ex husband and I are talking about working things out and I’d just like to know.
Thank you and God Bless,
Jennie

 

[Vico]

Good morning,
I have a question regarding marriage and annulment. I am a newly baptized and confirmed Catholic. Prior to joining the Catholic Church I was married and divorced. I did not remarry. I know that should I choose to, I would need to obtain an annulment. However, my question is this. If I choose to remarry the Same person, my prior husband, do I still need an annulment? In the church’s and God’s eyes we are still married so I’m not sure. I intend to ask my priest about it more closely, but I am wondering in the meantime. My ex husband and I are talking about working things out and I’d just like to know.
Thank you and God Bless,
Jennie

I think a priest and tribunal would want to know if the marriage was between two baptized non-Catholic Christians because then, if valid, it would be a sacramental marriage which cannot be dissolved after consummation.

 

[Jenniepanda1]

Hi,
Thanks for your response. As for me, I was not baptized prior to my marriage. I honestly don’t know about my ex. Obviously he is Christian, but one can consider themselves that without being baptized. Not everyone has the blessing of knowing the effects of baptism. I will have to ask. However, I am operating under the assumption that it was and is a valid and therefore indissolvable marriage. If I get married again to him I want it to be in the church. That’s why I need and want to know

 

[ChibiViolet]

No, in that case you would not need an annulment. You are still married to him in the eyes of the Church.

 

[Phemie]

Good morning,
I have a question regarding marriage and annulment. I am a newly baptized and confirmed Catholic. Prior to joining the Catholic Church I was married and divorced. I did not remarry. I know that should I choose to, I would need to obtain an annulment. However, my question is this. If I choose to remarry the Same person, my prior husband, do I still need an annulment? In the church’s and God’s eyes we are still married so I’m not sure. I intend to ask my priest about it more closely, but I am wondering in the meantime. My ex husband and I are talking about working things out and I’d just like to know.
Thank you and God Bless,
Jennie

The church considers you still married to this person. Should you decide to remarry him civilly that is all you would have to do.

 

[His_helpmeet]

The church considers you still married to this person. Should you decide to remarry him civilly that is all you would have to do.

Indeed. Sometimes, if the couple would like, they may also arrange to renew their vows in the Church in a special ceremony, but it is made clear that this is simply a renewal of the original vows and new ones are not required by the Church (although, as you state, they would be required civilly).

 

[otjm]

Good morning,
I have a question regarding marriage and annulment. I am a newly baptized and confirmed Catholic. Prior to joining the Catholic Church I was married and divorced. I did not remarry. I know that should I choose to, I would need to obtain an annulment. However, my question is this. If I choose to remarry the Same person, my prior husband, do I still need an annulment? In the church’s and God’s eyes we are still married so I’m not sure. I intend to ask my priest about it more closely, but I am wondering in the meantime. My ex husband and I are talking about working things out and I’d just like to know.
Thank you and God Bless,
Jennie

There is a fair amount of information lacking, and you would be well advised to speak with your pastor, as most of us are not qualified to answer definitively.

However, if you are considering joining again with your spouse, understand that the State considers you to be divorced, and to remedy that matter you would need to be married again, at least civilly.

As to the status between you and your husband, as to whether it would simply be a matter of “renewing your vows”, or a convalidation, we don’t have enough information. Speak with the pastor.

A bit of advice: both of you should get some professional counseling, to sort out why the marriage did not work in the first place, and to determine if whatever caused the breakup (and for that matter, what each of you were considering when you first married) is resolved to the point that you will not end up repeating with another divorce.

There is a retreat for couples with troubled marriages - Retrouvaille, through the Catholic Church, which also might be of assistance to the two of you.

It would be a wonderful thing if the two of you could reconcile. However, Most people who have gone through a divorce do not have the resources on their own to sort through and work on the problem(s) which lead to the divorce;; if they did, the likelihood is they would not have divorced. Not everyone who goes through a divorce has insurmountable problems; but most need the professional help of marriage counselors so they do not go down the same path as before.

In many areas, the Catholic Church may be able to provide access to Catholic marriage counselors (and at times the cost can be partially offset by insurance - depends on policies). Too, they often may provide counseling on a sliding scale, based on ability to pay.

An additional resource, if there is no Catholic counseling center, is Lutheran Family Services, as they have a very strong desire to support marriages.

God bless you and your former spouse on your journey.

 

[Jenniepanda1]

Good morning,
Thank you for your reply. As to a couple of your questions, yes we would have to do our vows again civilly. As for the church, there has not been an annulment so as my priest explained we are still married in the eyes of the church. So it would be a renewal of vows not a convalidation. We have also both been to counseling both separately for a significant amount of time and jointly a few times. My current therapist actually does happen to be Catholic which ive found to be very helpful in supporting my beliefs as i considered joining the Catholic Church. The day of my baptism and confirmation was the happiest day of my life. I very much want this to work. I don’t know if the standard marriage prep meetings with my priest are required for a renewal or not, but they’re something I would still insist on. I’ve learned so much over the past year, simply put that I had no idea what God intended marriage to be. My whole outlook has changed since then. Thank you and God Bless,
Jennie

 

[poche]

Good morning,
I have a question regarding marriage and annulment. I am a newly baptized and confirmed Catholic. Prior to joining the Catholic Church I was married and divorced. I did not remarry. I know that should I choose to, I would need to obtain an annulment. However, my question is this. If I choose to remarry the Same person, my prior husband, do I still need an annulment? In the church’s and God’s eyes we are still married so I’m not sure. I intend to ask my priest about it more closely, but I am wondering in the meantime. My ex husband and I are talking about working things out and I’d just like to know.
Thank you and God Bless,
Jennie

If you are thinking about “remarrying” your husband I think that is wonderful. You might need to have a civil marriage but the first marriage would still mean that you are still married to him.