Married outside of Catholic Church, Divorced and remarried

[adelore]

Hi,

I was just wondering what the correct answer to this question would be.

If someone who was raised Catholic and was away from the Church for a few years got married, then divorced, then re-married to someone else (who was also raised Catholic, but was away from the Church for years, and who had never been married) where does that put this person as far as the Catholic Church is concerned.

Now from my understanding, (although I could be wrong, that’s why I’m asking this question) is that any marriage performed outside of the Cahtolic Church is not reconized by the Catholic Church. Although it may be a civil marriage.

If that is the case then how would a “Civil Divorce” be looked at from the Catholic Church of this marriage?

Then what if the Divorced person got re-married “Out side” of the Catholic Church and then many years later returned to the Catholic Church?

Now my “guess” is that the First Marriage is nule and void by the Catholic Church, since neither Party of the marriage was praticing being Catholic? (of course this is only a guess)

Then the re-marriage would also Not be recongized by the Church until the marriage was “Blessed”. (am I understanding this all correctly?)

Thank you to anyone who can answer these questions.

 

[1ke]

The two Catholics are in an invalid marriage. This means they are in an objective state of sin and cannot receive the Sacraments until their marriage situation is rectified.

They should make an appointment with their parish priest. At that meeting, they should lay out all the facts and abide by the pastor’s guidance as to what is necessary regarding the prior marriage of the one spouse and the convalidating of their current marriage after the first marriage is evaluated.

Based on what you have stated, the Catholic who married and divorced did so outside the Catholic form without permission. That would be an invalid marriage and there would be some minimal paperwork to complete.

Then, the couple could proceed with convalidating since they also married outside Catholic form.