May I, a Catholic, marry a divorced Presbyterian?

[HappyinGod]

I have been divorced for over a decade and as soon it was possible had my marriage annulled in the eyes of the Catholic Church.

I have met and fallen in love with a man not of my faith. He is Presbyterian. He was granted a divorce from a marriage that he entered into as he was “doing the right thing”, not because he wanted to be married. These facts have been confirmed by family and friends who, even on the day of his wedding, tried to talk him out of it.

We are planning on getting married in his church, not my Catholic church.

Will I still be able to receive communion in my Church or will I need a convalidation before I can take communion again?

Thank you for your time.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear friend,

For a Catholic to marry outside of the Catholic Church is a mortal sin and the marriage will not be valid. What needs to happen is that, even though he is not a Catholic, he can seek a Catholic annulment for that first marriage. It sounds like it would be granted. THEN, get married in the Catholic Church. You may not receive Communion in a Protestant church. Protestants lost the valid Eucharist early on. Many of them see it only as a symbol anyway.

If being married in a Catholic Church would be difficult for his family, then you can ask your priest for a dispensation in which you can get married in the Protestant church with the priest being present as an official witness. Attending a Protestant service on Sundays will not fulfill your Sunday obligation. There is simply no comparison between the Sacrifice of the Mass and a non-Catholic church service. There is nothing on the face of the earth that can compare with the presence of our crucified Savior on our altars! You are in our prayers.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.