Must I remarry in a Catholic ceremony before my husband and I can convert?

[AnglBree22]

After doing some research on [www.catholic.com](http://www.catholic.com) I had a lot of my questions about the Catholic faith answered; however, I didn’t find the answer to one particular question… My husband and I were married June 2004 by my uncle (a Baptist minister) in a chapel. I know that the Catholic Church doesn’t “recognize” marriage outside of the Church. So, my question is: If my husband and I feel led to join the Catholic Church, is it required for us to “remarry” so that it will be recognized by the Catholic Church? Thanks!

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Assuming that you and your husband were both baptized non-Catholic Christians who were otherwise free to marry each other, the Church would presume your marriage to be both valid and sacramental. Cases where the Church presumes non-Catholic Christian marriages to be invalid include when one of the parties is a Catholic bound by Catholic marital law and does not receive the necessary dispensations from his local bishop to marry a non-Catholic in a non-Catholic marriage ceremony.