Question about what I learned in RCIA

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Kathleen18

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I learned that a divorced Catholic cannot date anyone till they get an annulment. Where in the canon or catechism is this mentioned?
 
I don’t know in how far this is true. First, “date” is somewhat vague in its definition. In what “exactly” consists a “date”? Because it depends not on the word but on what people make of it. I suppose plenty of things shouldn’t be done outside of marriage while you are married, namely all things pertaining to marriage.

As for exact definitions I don’t have my catechism neither am I an expert to quote from it or cannon law. I do have a very clear idea of what one should and shouldn’t do outside of marriage.

Also, I don’t know in how far an annulment is actually achievable, since certain criteria need to be verified to prove the marriage was void to begin with. An annulment is that, that the marriage was never valid. Because once it is valid, it’s until death do them part.
 
First, there isn’t always canon law for every situation. In this we have to go back to what a Catholic marriage and the inability to dissolve it.

When a divorced Catholic dates he/she is committing adultery. Regardless of legal status of the marriage, the Church assumes the marriage is valid. For the Church a Catholic is married until an investigation is made and the marriage is found to have never been.
 
Not everyone was catechized properly, or at all. So common sense does not exactly always apply. I was asking the question, because I was wondering if there was any documentation or available resource for me to look at.
 
I’m not sure what the instructor meant by “date” but it’s not necessarily incorrect.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1628:
The consent must be an act of the will of each of the contracting parties, free of coercion or grave external fear. No human power can substitute for this consent. If this freedom is lacking the marriage is invalid.
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The Church presumes that all marriages are valid unless declared otherwise after an investigation resulting in a declaration of nullity. So, it matters not if someone is separated/civilly divorced from their spouse. If the marriage has not been declared null by the Church, they are de facto still married in the eyes of the Church and in the Eyes of God.

So…

If one is still married, one is not free to be romantically involved with anyone except their spouse. How do we know this? Well, Canon Law wouldn’t touch on this subject, but the Catechism does:
2380 Adultery refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual relations - even transient ones - they commit adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of mere desire. The sixth commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery absolutely. The prophets denounce the gravity of adultery; they see it as an image of the sin of idolatry.

2381 Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents’ stable union.
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Obviously being romantically involved with anyone other than the spouse is condemned by God.

“Dating” as defined by Western cultural norms usually involves romantic feelings/behavior of some sort between the two people --or at least the implicit desire to find such feelings/behavior in the person they are dating. Therefore, dating someone who is not the spouse would be prohibited.
 
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