Protestant second marriages

[Veronica97]

I am just wondering how, as a Catholic, I should respond when someone announces on a social media website that they are celebrating an anniversary or have gotten married, when the people in question are in a second marriage but are Protestant. I feel terrible not saying congratulations when it will likely be noticed, but I keep thinking about how Jesus says anyone who divorces and remarries is committing adultery. But Protestants don’t have an annulment process, so their first marriages may very well have been invalid. I’m not privy to that kind of information about everyone’s first marriages nor do I have the authority to make a judgement. If the persons in question were Catholic and had remarried without annulment (and I knew this for a fact), I would not congratulate them, but what do I do in the case of remarried Protestants? Should I respond with “Congratulations” or perhaps share a Bible verse (something that conveys the love of God or exhorts the person to seek the Lord always, etc.) or simply remain silent (and risk that the person will not understand and be offended)?

 

[1ke]

It’s social media. Ignore it. You have no obligation to respond, and I can’t imagine anyone taking attendance on a Facebook comment section.

If you receive an actual invitation or announcement in the mail, then you will have to decide how and if you respond. As it is a second marriage, I doubt they expect gifts. So it would be a matter of whether you attend the wedding or send a congratulatory card.

Personally, I approach it on a case by case basis, based on what I know of the situation and my relationship to the people (acquaintance, family, close friend, work person, or other).

 

[Allegra]

People don’t expect that everyone they know will “like” everything they post.

 

[Veronica97]

I was just wondering because sometimes the people celebrating an anniversary are (Protestant) family members and sometimes the friends getting married or celebrating an anniversary are people who usually comment or like my posts and vice versa. I’m just saying that silence may be noticed by the people in question. Perhaps not. But if they’re posting lots of pictures, and I’m saying nothing when I usually (or at least regularly) comment on their pictures and posts (and vice versa), that makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I’m curious to know what other Catholics do in similar situations?