Understanding annullments

[bridget71]

I joined and was married in the catholic church since the man I was marrying was catholic. We were married over 10 years. We had 3 children, but we lost one in infancy. At that time we purchased burial plots in the catholic cemetery. One for our daughter we lost, and then 4 extras for him and I and our other children. We were divorced, but never had our marriage annulled. We both remarried and I know that the second marriage is not recognized by the church. He has since passed away and was buried in one of plots we purchased. My question is, can the second wife be buried in the catholic cemetery? She is not a catholic, and we never had our marriage annulled. My children are wanting to know. Thank you for any help.

 

[fermat]

I would check with the cemetery and ask if there is a restriction. Ultimately, this would probably come down to who has the title to plot.

This would also be a question for a canon lawyer, but I don’t think there is anything stopping anyone from being buried anywhere. This would seem to be as much a secular legal issue as a church one.

The fact that you never attempted to seek an annulment shouldn’t really matter. If your marriage was valid, it was valid until your husbands death. In any case, you are no longer bound to him in matrimony.