Remarrying after death of a spouse

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Pacific_Buckeye

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This question arises from a divorced person’s desire to understand the constraints on a Catholic who has lost a spouse. Suppose a devout Catholic loses a spouse at 60. After an appropriate period of time, the idea of marrying again seems feasible. Whom can one date?
  1. Single persons of the opposite sex (not too many of these at 60).
  2. Widows or widowers of the opposite sex (also not too many of these).
  3. Divorced persons of the opposite sex who have already had the previous marriage annulled in preparation for a sacramental marriage (even fewer of these).
Dating a divorced person whose marriage has not been annulled seems to put one in the position of committing adultery even if no intimate relationship is created, since the divorced person is still married in the eyes of the church. Can one who has lost a spouse date outside of the few choices listed above without risking mortal sin?
 
Pacific_Buckeye said:
This question arises from a divorced person’s desire to understand the constraints on a Catholic who has lost a spouse. Suppose a devout Catholic loses a spouse at 60. After an appropriate period of time, the idea of marrying again seems feasible. Whom can one date?
  1. Single persons of the opposite sex (not too many of these at 60).
  2. Widows or widowers of the opposite sex (also not too many of these).
  3. Divorced persons of the opposite sex who have already had the previous marriage annulled in preparation for a sacramental marriage (even fewer of these).
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A Catholic widow or widower is free to date and marry any person in categories 1, 2, and 3, and nobody else.
 
Matthew_Holford said:
I second what Spirithound has said.
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Third! And while it may be a “small pool,” there are certainly many elderly single or widowed people. My husband’s grandmother was widowed when my husband was little and married a man who had also been widowed - they were married about 15 years, I think before he died.

60 is still pretty young. The “size” of the “marriageable pool” may not be significantly different than it is for people in their 40s and 50s since people are staying in good health for longer. 🤷
 
Will_B said:
What other category did you have in mind?
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maybe number 4, 5 and 6
  1. Divorced persons of the opposite sex who have not already had the previous marriage annulled in preparation for a sacramental marriage
  2. Married persons of the opposite sex
  3. Anyone of the same sex
 
Pacific_Buckeye said:
This question arises from a divorced person’s desire to understand the constraints on a Catholic who has lost a spouse. Suppose a devout Catholic loses a spouse at 60. After an appropriate period of time, the idea of marrying again seems feasible. Whom can one date?
  1. Single persons of the opposite sex (not too many of these at 60).
  2. Widows or widowers of the opposite sex (also not too many of these).
  3. Divorced persons of the opposite sex who have already had the previous marriage annulled in preparation for a sacramental marriage (even fewer of these).
Dating a divorced person whose marriage has not been annulled seems to put one in the position of committing adultery even if no intimate relationship is created, since the divorced person is still married in the eyes of the church. Can one who has lost a spouse date outside of the few choices listed above without risking mortal sin?
Click to expand...
One who is widowed may date the same people as any other single person may date: those of the opposite sex who are not validly married.
 
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