Why does a JP marriage need to be annulled?

[NewEnglandPriest]

For most of the Church’s history, even a priviate exchange of consent formed a valid marriage.

Yes, you are correct. I used the word public meaning that for it to be legally binding usually requires some kind of witness.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

I guess the answer to all those questions would be the Catholic Church. Since in our hypothetical they are not Catholic, they probably couldn’t care less what the Church thinks – until such a times as they divorce and one decides to marry a Catholic. Then what the Catholic Church thinks will matter to them.

LOL, a friend of mine had a similiar situation. The protestant party had been married about 4 times. If I remember correctly, they had to annul each of them one by one!

 

[Joan_M]

It is a “man made” Church law that Catholics can only be validly married within the Church or somewhere else with Church permission.

I trust that you use **“man made” **to indicate that, in fact, laws made by the Church are, in fact, not man made at all, since Jesus told the Apostles that whatever they bind on earth is bound in Heaven, and therefore ratified by God Himself.

 

[puzzleannie]

My brother is dating a girl (Ahhhh:crying who was formally married by a justice of the peace. I understand they need an annulment, if this is true, why is it so?
Sorry if this has been asked and answered.
Also my parents really tried hard to raise us the best catholics they could, what is the primary reason kids go astray?

not enough info
no way to get that info on this forum
the way for the brother to get info he needs to act responsibly is to talk to his pastor, lay out all the facts of the situation, including but not limited to, baptismal status and details of all former marriages of all parties. He may not even have those details since he is only dating her, they have not begun to plan marriage.

It is the girl, not he, who should privately approach a priest for advice if and when she decides to marry a Catholic.

much of the well-meaning info on this and similar threads is incomplete or just plain wrong, so advise your brother to speak to his pastor and get the real deal, applying to his situation.

as the situation stands now, until proven otherwise, the young lady is married and therefore, in morality as well as in secular etiquette, not available for dating.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

No, not my opinion, its Catholic theology/teaching.

No, not my opinion. Once again: Catholic theology/teaching.

Once again: No. If two baptized Protestants exchanged consent in Vegas in front of Elvis while on Spring Break the Church would consider the marriage sacramental. The baptized Protestants are not bound by Church law so their mere exhange of consent makes the marriage sacramental.

Once again: no. It may indeed be the work of the Holy Spirit guiding us through this particular period of time. But anyone who has ever taken a canon law of marriage class knows that “consent makes marriage” no matter what its circumstances.
Technically speaking, a bishop could dispense for a Catholic to be married on a beach by a JP. Under communism in eastern europe it was not uncommon for the Church to simply recognise the secular marriage as a valid one without requiring a repeating of vows.

Not by divine law, but mere canon law.

Not really.

I hope your read the rest of the thread.

God made marriage by making Eve, in such god made marriage. Natural Moral Law has a form of marriage but it may be (name removed by moderator)ure as it is defined by man (the interpretation of the man/woman couple). Sacramental Marriage is designed and adminsitred by the Church to fulfill the devine laws of marriage

 

[Phemie]

I hope your read the rest of the thread.

God made marriage by making Eve, in such god made marriage. Natural Moral Law has a form of marriage but it may be (name removed by moderator)ure as it is defined by man (the interpretation of the man/woman couple). Sacramental Marriage is designed and adminsitred by the Church to fulfill the devine laws of marriage

You are missing the point that a marriage does not have to be celebrated in church to be sacramental. A JP wedding can be just as sacramental as one celebrated in the context of a Nuptial Mass. As long as the two are baptized and free to marry and consent fully (IOW, not Catholic without dispensation) a JP wedding is sacramental because the couple are the ministers of the sacrament not the JP or the priest.

 

[Bluegoat]

You are missing the point that a marriage does not have to be celebrated in church to be sacramental. A JP wedding can be just as sacramental as one celebrated in the context of a Nuptial Mass. As long as the two are baptized and free to marry and consent fully (IOW, not Catholic without dispensation) a JP wedding is sacramental because the couple are the ministers of the sacrament not the JP or the priest.

Perhaps it might be useful to remind people of another Sacrament that can be validly performed by a non-Catholic, Baptism. In fact, I think it may even be done by a non-Christian - I am not sure of the Catholic position on that, so I won’t commit myself to it!

 

[Phemie]

Perhaps it might be useful to remind people of another Sacrament that can be validly performed by a non-Catholic, Baptism. In fact, I think it may even be done by a non-Christian - I am not sure of the Catholic position on that, so I won’t commit myself to it!

In an emergency anyone can baptize as long as they have to intention to do so, use water and the trinitarian formula.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

I trust that you use **“man made” **to indicate that, in fact, laws made by the Church are, in fact, not man made at all, since Jesus told the Apostles that whatever they bind on earth is bound in Heaven, and therefore ratified by God Himself.

[sigh] I think you’re missing the point. “Man made” laws go in and out of style, divine law is forever. The fact that a Catholic needs to be married in the Church is a law that can be dispensed from or even totally eliminated from canon law, divine law can never be dispensed from nor can it be eliminated.

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

Sacramental Marriage is designed and adminsitred by the Church to fulfill the devine laws of marriage

No, you are incorrect. Sacramental marriage is a sacrament given to us by Jesus Christ Himself. It is not “designed” by the Church. The Church creates laws and rules to best facilitate the proper understanding of the sacrament in given periods of history.